Between 2021 and 2022, WRAP estimated that wasted food and drink in the UK generated 18m tonnes of CO2e. McGrath’s platform, which launched in 2022, aims to rewrite this narrative, looking to cut an ambitious 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2026 – equivalent to removing 40,000 cars from UK roads.
‘Dyslexia has been my superpower’
Her F&B story started in October 2014 when she launched an Oxford breakfast delivery company during her university studies. This was pre-Deliveroo times and a testament to McGarth’s entrepreneurial mind.
Fresh out of university, she landed a job at drinks brand Sipsmith which had then been operating out of a small garage in Hammersmith, London.
“I actually applied by cycling over and leaving my CV as a message in a bottle – a Sipsmith Gin bottle, of course! That bold move paid off, and over the next eight years, I worked across marketing, sales, innovation, and supply chain, gaining firsthand insight into the complexities of the food and beverage industry,” she told Food Manufacture.
“It was here that I really began to understand the challenges that manufacturers face, especially when it comes to supply chain waste.”
According to McGrath, her dyslexia has been her “superpower”. It wasn’t always how she felt about her ‘neurodivergency’ but she came to understand that her “abstract” way of thinking made her see problems through a different lens, giving way to more innovative solutions.
“[It’s] been invaluable as an entrepreneur,” she said.
“I knew I wanted to build something of my own when the right opportunity arose,” she continued. “That moment came when I discovered the sheer scale of food waste in the manufacturing sector. Seeing how much valuable food was being lost at different points in the supply chain, I knew I needed to create a solution that would help manufacturers use their resources more efficiently. And so, The Wonki Collective was born.
‘It’s not just about waste’
“The scale of food waste in the manufacturing industry is staggering. Every year, food manufacturers in the UK lose £2.4bn due to waste, adding 10% to their cost of goods. Not only does this impact their bottom line, but food waste is also a major contributor to climate change, responsible for a significant percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
As McGrath explained to Food Manufacture, the problem isn’t just about waste, it’s also about efficiency.
“Food manufacturers are often stuck in the middle of complex supply chains, with little visibility over where waste is occurring and how to optimise their resources. I wanted to build a solution that would help them tackle this challenge head-on, reducing waste, improving profitability, and ultimately, creating a more sustainable food system.”
Like most early-stage businesses, McGrath’s business journey has been anything but linear. But the vision has remained constant: to empower the food system to better use its resources.
“We originally started as a B2C business, focused on tackling food waste at the finished goods level. But as we started receiving offers of bulk raw ingredients that weren’t consumer-friendly, we pivoted to B2B – where the real opportunity lay. Once we began working closely with manufacturers, we kept running into a recurring issue: a lack of visibility into different waste streams,” she said.
That insight led to the evolution of The Wonki Collective’s current solution – helping food manufacturers visualise their surplus and waste streams, then optimising redistribution.
“Today, we’re not just preventing waste; we’re improving bottom lines and helping manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.”
‘We need to challenge outdated norms’
Speaking on her title of woman innovator to watch, McGrath expressed the privilege she felt to be named.
“It’s an incredible honour to be recognised by Innovate UK, especially alongside so many inspiring female founders. Innovation isn’t just about new technology – it’s about challenging the status quo, rethinking how industries operate, and driving meaningful change. For me, this award is a reminder of the impact we can have when we push boundaries and build solutions that make a real difference.”
Whilst the gender gap is closing in food and drink production, McGrath pointed out the much smaller numbers of females in leadership positions.
““The food industry employs 49% women at entry level, yet at the senior C-suite level, that number drops to just 23%. That gap needs to change.
“As female innovators, we have the power to pave the way for the next generation of women in food. By acting as role models, supporting each other, and challenging outdated norms, we can build a more inclusive and diverse industry – one where women aren’t just participating but leading.”
