Food waste is a global problem. The problem of food waste has significant environmental, economic, and social consequences. However, there are some organisations that are trying to combat this. Meet Bengaluru-based initiative, Saving Grains that upcycles spent grain from breweries.
What does Saving Grains Do?
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Started by Elizabeth Yorke, a Bengaluru-based Chef turned Food Researcher started the organisation ‘Saving Grains’ in 2021 using the simple concept of bakers and brewers. Historically, bakers and brewers worked closely and shared common ingredients – grain, yeast, and water. The baker would share the stale/leftover bread with the brewer to be used to brew beer and the brewer would share the leftover spent grains and spent yeast to be used in breads.
Similarly, Saving Grains work towards building products with brewer’s spent grain. Flour from the same grain is used to make chapatis, biscuits, cookies, cakes, bread, crackers, granola, cookies and more. The brewer’s spent grain is rich in flavour and nutritional content.
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How Does It Help Around?
Saving Grains also officially partnered with Geist Brewery Co., a Bangalore microbrewery with a sustainability ethos. They have also partnered with a community centre in Kutumba to use the flour to make chapatis and even, with home bakers and professional bakers to develop recipes and make some good bread and treats.
The spent grain is picked up from the breweries after the first mash, brought back to Kutumba Community Centre, dried and milled into flour and then made into products.
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For instance, the flour made by Saving Grains offers about 23% protein, 46% dietary fibre and less than 0.1% gluten, making it a great option for the elderly or people struggling with metabolic and digestive issues, compared to, say, all-purpose flour that has a gluten content of 12-14%.
In some ways, this initiative has been successful to lessen food waste. It is a commendable initiative that is helping to address the problems of food waste and hunger in Bengaluru. Saving Grains is a shining example of how citizen-led initiatives can make a significant impact on critical social and environmental issues. By rescuing spent food grains, the initiative is helping to reduce food waste, alleviate hunger, and promote a more sustainable and equitable food system.
Cost: Ground Flour at ₹150 onwards; Cookies at ₹350 onwards; Biscuits at ₹160 onwards and more
To know more, please check here
Cover image credits: Instagram/Saving Grains