Restaurants have a huge food waste problem; could an app help?

One third of all food produced for human consumption isn’t eaten, and the hospitality sector is an important contributor to food waste.

The Winnow System “smart meter” aims to tackle the problem by helping chefs measure and analyse the food they’re putting in the bin. They can use a tablet app to identify the types of food they’re throwing away, and, combined with data collected from an electronic scale, the smart meter can tell them the value of what’s being binned. It’s hoped that an accurate insight into what is being wasted – and the value of that waste – will prompt chefs to improve production processes.

On average, Winnow says, 200 kitchens have cut their food waste in half using the smart meter. One London restaurant, Sam’s Brasserie & Bar, saved more than £5,000 in food costs in just four weeks.

Data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) estimates that in commercial kitchens, 21% of food waste arises from spoilage, 45% happens during food preparation and 34% comes from customers’ plates. The tablet app can be customised to reflect a restaurant’s menu, so chefs can quickly select the source and type of food that’s ending up in the bin.

One of the biggest challenges for Winnow is overcoming the idea that only poorly run, unprofessional kitchens have food waste, when the reality is that every kitchen does. Even high profile chef and activist Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his team at the River Cottage Canteen in Winchester, were able to reduce waste by a third in just over two months of using the meter.

Founded in 2013, the London-based company has quickly progressed from its pilot programme to working with global brands such as Compass Group and Accord Hotels. Fuelled by pressure mounting on businesses to address food waste, Winnow is now expanding its operations in the UK, Ireland, Norway, China, Singapore and Thailand.

Winnow is the 2016 winner of the waste management category of the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards.