Achieving ‘zero food waste’ has helped a specialist manufacturer of air-dried fruit and vegetable crisps launch new products and enjoy a near 20% boost in turnover.
Nim’s uses over 600 tonnes of fresh produce every year and 95% of that is classed as rescued or wonky and wouldn’t be sold on the shelves of supermarkets across the country.The Sittingbourne-based company, which employs 18 people, has developed a process that means all this fruit and veg is used in its range of crisps, drinks, garnishes, and edible teas.
Investing £30,000 into a new machine to offer bespoke formats, including fruit and vegetable powders, has also unlocked a host of new ingredients and garnishes.
This covers apples, pineapples, pears, watermelons, and all citrus fruits and can be used to flavour alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at the point of manufacture, as well as used in bars, pubs, and hotels at the point of making/serving cocktails.
They are also incorporated into baking and cake decorations and by restaurants when garnishing dishes.
Nimisha Raja MBE, founder of Nim’s, commented: “Achieving ‘zero food waste’ is a big task for a small producer, but it was something we have been committed to since we launched and now proudly boast that all the fruit and vegetables, including the skin and core we buy and process, is used in a meaningful way.
“0.03% is unfit for human consumption, but we even have an answer for that with it being successfully sent to an anaerobic waste treatment plant and returned to us in the form of energy.”
She continued: “This isn’t marketing rhetoric either. Our commitment to transparency and compliance has meant scrutiny through rigorous auditing bodies, such as BRCG, Sedex and SMETA, as well as customers such as Pret A Manger, The Azzurri Group, Marks & Spencer and Holland & Barrett all holding us to account.
