Food waste solution turns bread into beer

By Gwen Ridler

- Last updated on GMT

Toast Ale is made from waste bread from food manufacturers
Toast Ale is made from waste bread from food manufacturers

Related tags Beer

Food-to-go firm Adelie Foods is turning its unwanted bread crusts into beer, in a bid to reduce food waste.

Adelie is working in partnership with the UK’s first bread to beer brewery, Toast Ale. The pale ale is brewed by Hambleton Brewery using surplus bread from bakeries, delis and sandwich manufacturers.

More than 220kg of waste bread has been supplied by Adelie, enough to create more than 6,000 beers.

Toast Ale aims to reduce food waste by using a slice of bread for every bottle of beer brewed and all profits go to food waste charity Feedback.

Adelie md John Want said the company was already committed to a zero waste to landfill programme before it was contacted by Toast Ale.

Perfect fit’

“It seemed a perfect fit,”​ said Want. “We love what the guys at Toast Ale are trying to do and it’s a really unique and interesting way to use waste bread to make a positive impact.

“Not only do they use the bread to make something tasty, but they also raise money for a really important cause too.”

Toast Ale’s Julie Prebble hoped it was the beginning of a long-term partnership with Adelie and the company would make thousands more beers over the coming months.

“They are on the same page as we are and really want to try and help with the reduction of food waste,”​ said Prebble.

‘Solution to the problem’

“So we hope this is the start of a beautiful relationship as we create a delicious solution to the problem of bread waste.”

UK food and drink manufacturers waste 1.7Mt of food each year. Bakery, cake and cereals make up 90,000t of that waste, according to food waste organisation Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Meanwhile, Burton’s Biscuit Company and Dairy Crest are the latest food manufacturers to sign up to the Courtauld Commitment 2025 food sustainability agreement.

The WRAP led initiative is a voluntary agreement to reduce food waste in the UK by 20% within the next 10 years.

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1 comment

Excess Bread - Food service Industry

Posted by julie reid,

hi there,

I'm a sustainability co-ordinator from Bidvest Foodservice and was wondering how are we able to go about offering our waste bread on a regular basis. Do you have a local amenities? Our depot is based in Cannock, Staffordshire.

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