Did you know that over 40% of trimmings waste is avoidable?
In kitchens around the world, trimmings waste often flies under the radar, viewed as an unavoidable byproduct. But it's time for that to change. Winnow’s data shows that by repurposing trimmings, kitchens can save between 1-2.5% on food costs — and unlock a world of creativity in the process.
That's why we've officially appointed Chef Vojtech Végh as our Zero Waste Culinary Advisor. With his extensive experience in sustainable cooking, Vojtech helps chefs rethink food waste and maximise the potential of every ingredient.
In this Q&A, we sit down with Vojtech to hear about his journey into zero-waste cooking, his approach to reducing kitchen waste, and his vision for the future of sustainable culinary practices.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey as a chef and how your focus on zero-waste cooking began?
Like most chefs, I started working in the kitchen when I was still a teenager. As a young chef, I wanted to gain as much experience as possible, so I would go through quite a few kitchens in different countries.
I was stunned by the amount of food waste when I entered some of the restaurant kitchens and I had an urge to do something about it. I was raised in a small village, growing most of our produce, so treating ingredients with respect and using everything was normal - it wasn’t called zero-waste.
Then I had a chance to work for a chef at a very high-level restaurant, who was focused on all the kitchen by-products - not for the sake of reducing food waste but for the sake of creativity and exploring new flavours and textures.
After that experience, I went all-in on zero-waste cooking and soon after opened my own zero-waste restaurant, which became a testing ground for the zero-waste approach.
Why is zero waste cooking so important to you, and what excites you most about this approach?
I believe that every single act in my days can be a force for good. Everything I do can have a positive impact, and the same goes for cooking. My cooking can be part of the problem or it can be part of the solution.
On top of that, I am a naturally curious person and as a chef, I am curious about flavours and possibilities. When I see a part of an ingredient going to waste, I am curious about all the potential that it holds and how much flavour is actually wasted. Flavour belongs to the plate, not in the bin.
You’ve worked in kitchens all over the world. How has this global experience shaped your perspective on food waste?
Oftentimes, what’s called waste in one part of the world is a treasured ingredient in another part of the world. What we might perceive as inedible, might be a common ingredient in a different region. I’ve seen food waste everywhere, but food unites people, so we have endless opportunities to share and exchange knowledge.
What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about zero waste cooking?
Easily the biggest ones are that it will take us more time in the kitchen to cook zero-waste and that we might have to compromise on the quality of our cooking. These misconceptions exist because of how the idea of zero-waste cooking has always been presented and the choice of words we use.
Long story short, zero-waste cooking can not be a spontaneous thing and it must be part of our regular workflow, in which case it does not require extra time.
And of course, once we stop perceiving safe and edible food as waste, we realise that we will never have to compromise on the quality of our dishes in order to minimise the waste during our cooking.
How does Winnow's data empower chefs like yourself to reduce waste in the kitchen?
You can put some gloves on and dig through the food waste bin at the end of every day to see what has been wasted, or you can comfortably sit down behind your computer and spend 5 minutes by taking a quick look at your daily report and scrolling through the waste gallery.
It’s hard to reduce food waste if you don’t know what’s in the bin and why it’s in the bin. Winnow gives you the data you need, so you can take actions where it’s needed.
What excites you most about your partnership with Winnow and what do you hope to achieve together?
I am excited about the scale of the impact we can make together. Winnow has a lot of data on food waste in kitchens around the world, so it makes it easy to target a specific type of waste, such as trimmings. We have a shared goal - to reduce food waste in kitchens, so it makes perfect sense to work together. I hope that we can normalise zero-waste cooking around the world.
How do you envision the future of zero-waste cooking, and what advice would you give to chefs who want to reduce waste?
The only future I see for zero-waste cooking is that there will be no need to call it zero-waste cooking, as I hope it becomes the default way of cooking, so we can just simply call it cooking.
To anyone who wants to reduce food waste, let’s look at every ingredient as if it’s the most expensive ingredient in our kitchen. Let’s use it all and eat it all.
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