Good Food
2023 AWARD COMMENDATION
Sponsored by New World
The Sustainable Food Co. is a sustainable catering social enterprise based in central Auckland. Found by Amy Klitscher in 2020, the small but growing company is on a mission to inspire and excite Kiwis to eat more sustainably and transform the food systems in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The company aims to disrupt the catering industry with low-cost, high-quality products delivered with passion, flair and social and environmental consciousness. It is demonstrating that plant-based low-carbon meals can be delicious and nutritious. It also promotes the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet.
The company’s online menu tracks carbon created from meals and gives customers an option to offset those emissions with CarbonClick.
The Sustainable Food Co. is Aotearoa New Zealand’s first zero-waste caterer from sourcing to serving. Since January 2020, the company has catered for more than 830 events and eliminated more than 72,000 single-use plates, bowls, napkins, cutlery and behind-the-scenes packaging from landfill. Good quality leftover food is either donated to a food rescue organisation or made available via the FoodPrint app.
The team works with suppliers to change the status quo, particularly around single-use packaging. It has encouraged suppliers to deliver produce in reusable crates and with minimal plastic packaging. It also works with customers to reduce plastic at events and encourages collaboration with partners who uphold the same values.
Since switching to an electric delivery van in mid-2021, the company has reduced its transport emissions by more than 7,300 kilograms.
Alongside event catering, The Sustainable Food Co. offers private chef experiences, food sustainability workshops, community events and live cooking demonstrations.