Dip, not tip

This article first appeared in our Consumer Revolution issue of My Green Pod Magazine, released on 19 Dec 2019. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox

A third of the food produced in the UK is never eaten.

That’s a hard fact to swallow considering food bank use in the Trussell Trust’s UK network has increased by 73% over the last five years.

In addition to food wasted in the home, over-supply means supermarkets and restaurants end up binning food that’s already been prepared and 40% of British crops are rejected due to their shape or size.

Gala apples that are less than 50% red, wonky carrots, ‘ugly’ tomatoes – you name it. Quality criteria from retailers mean £650m of perfectly good food never makes it off the farm.

Rescuing food from British farms

Determined to do her bit in the fight to end food waste, chef-turned-entrepreneur Hannah McCollum combined her love for healthy food with her passion for campaigning against food waste.

Hannah works with British farmers to collect imperfect fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. This surplus food is blended into award-winning hummus in four different flavours.

Chilli Pumpkin is a garlic-free hummus that’s perfect for a Fodmap diet; Beetroot & Horseradish is rich in iron and has a delicious kick; Herby is packed with protein and nutrients and Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric is full of antioxidants, making it great for fighting off winter colds.

Chickpeas of different sizes go into the Original ChicP hummus; in 2020 they will be UK grown to make this the lowest carbon footprint hummus.

So far the company has saved over 30,000 fruit and veg and partnered with seven schools to help educate students about food waste. 10% of profits from ChicP’s Chilli Pumpkin dip go to Feedback Global, a UK food waste charity, in Hannah’s multi-pronged approach to ending the food waste farce once and for all.