![Harden's National Guide 2022: Restaurant Sat Bains, Purnell's and Da Terra shine in Harden's top 100 list](http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/tscsmallimages/feature/undefined/f8c58d97-2b99-49de-9095-c493dcd1fd1e.jpg)
"I want to challenge people’s perception of waste"
![](http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/tscmediumimages/feature/undefined/813c52ae-d2f0-48fc-a5c0-f104e6ca2b08.jpg)
The Why Waste? Project will return for its second year on 29 September to coincide with International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste with Massimo Bottura.
The project aims to create engaging content to inspire people to adopt a more responsible behaviour to save food from being wasted by asking the question “why is this waste?”.
The three chefs who have joined Massimo are Sat Bains of two-Michelin star Nottingham restaurant with rooms, Dominique Crenn who is the only female chef in the US with three Michelin stars and Césare Troisgros, the fourth-generation continuing the legendary story of La Maison Troisgros, which has held three Michelin stars for an incredible 51 years.
Each chef is given food items by Massimo that are perceived as waste to transform into something new to inspire people to look at leftover food differently.
Each chef works with their local teams to produce a dish they then present back to Massimo. The challenges are presented in three videos hosted by FineDininglovers.com in ingredient categories; Vegetable Trimmings, Over-Ripe Fruits, Stale Bread.
Commenting on what made him get involved with the project Sat said: “I want to challenge people’s perception of waste, we are a gastronomic community sharing ideas for the greater good.”
Sat is given two challenges, the first with vegetable trimmings he transforms into tutti frutti ice cream made with candied vegetables complete with cone and red syrup made from beetroot scraps.
Discussing his methods, Sat said: “When looking at leftovers steer away from soups. Vegetables contain lots of natural sugars so why not make something surprising and fun.”
TRANSFORMING WASTED INGREDIENTS
The format brings attention to the mission of Food for Soul and Refettorio projects around the world, where daily culinary teams divert food surplus from landfill, transforming the otherwise wasted ingredients into nourishing meals and hunger relief served with hospitality to those most socially vulnerable.
Since the first Refettorio opening in 2015, Massimo has cultivated a cultural movement to save food from waste while addressing long-term food security and food system sustainability serving as a UNEP Goodwill Ambassador.
Discussing this issue, Massimo said: “Approximately 17% of food is wasted at the consumer-level while 10% of the world goes hungry. In our kitchens, at home, we can make a significant difference, starting with simple habits that save food from waste. As chefs you see leftovers as ingredients that have the potential to be something special. The goal of this series is to inspire you and show you how to create amazing recipes for you and your family,”
The three videos hosted are categorised into food groups: Vegetable Trimmings, Over-Ripe Fruits, Stale Bread and are also available with French, Italian and Spanish subtitles.
![](http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/tscmediumimages/feature/undefined/813c52ae-d2f0-48fc-a5c0-f104e6ca2b08.jpg)
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.