Food rescue company Funky Food, proudly headquartered in Brisbane, and Sonoma Artisan Bakery have announced a delicious new partnership that will see perfectly fresh artisan bread rescued from waste and delivered to households across South East Queensland, Sydney and Melbourne. Known for rescuing cosmetically imperfect fruit and vegetables rejected by supermarkets, Funky Food is now adding artisan sourdoughs, rolls and specialty loaves from the famed Sonoma that may not meet appearance standards, but still deliver exactly the same handcrafted quality and flavour. The partnership tackles two growing pressures facing Australian families: rising grocery bills and food waste. Australia throws away around 456 million loaves of bread every year, while food waste costs the economy more than $36 billion annually, despite much of it being perfectly good to eat. Sonoma General Manager Aine Doran said artisan baking was, by nature, beautifully imperfect.
“Every loaf is handcrafted, and sometimes that means one might not look exactly how we intended. But inside, it’s every bit as delicious. So, partnering with Funky Food means those incredible loaves don’t go to waste. Instead, they go straight onto family tables where they’re appreciated exactly as they should be,” Doran commented “As artisan bakers, we’re passionate about quality and craftsmanship. Now we’re equally proud that every loaf we bake has the opportunity to find a home.”
Funky Food CEO Noah Pratt said adding bread had always been on the wish list.
“This partnership was a no-brainer. We’ve rescued millions of kilograms of fruit and vegetables over the past few years, and adding artisan bread means we’re saving even more incredible food from unnecessary waste. The best part is Sonoma shares our values, and even our street!” Pratt commented “Families are feeling the pinch right now. If we can help people save money, support Australian producers and stop great food ending up in landfill, that’s a pretty good day’s work.”
Since launching, Funky Food has delivered 657,366 boxes, rescued 7,888,392 kilograms of produce, and helped shoppers save up to 30 per cent compared with major supermarkets.Customers can create their own orders or choose ready-made boxes, choosing rescued produce, meat, pantry staples, and now artisan bread, while helping support Australian farmers and reduce food waste.
Australian National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study by Food Innovation Australia (FIAL)