From coffee grounds to 'cruffins' - this is how one Milton Keynes venue banishes food waste

This month, with national Stop Food Waste Day falling on April 30, the venue has launched its “Every Crumb Counts” campaign.

It serves to dish up a timely reminder that great food doesn’t need to cost the earth.

With its mix of cafés, kitchens, and eateries under one roof, Unity Place is highlighting the everyday work happening behind the scenes to keep food waste to an absolute minimum – and how, when there is surplus, it’s put to deliciously good use.

Firstly, with so many coffee spots in one place, there is a steady supply of used coffee grounds – and Unity Place is putting these to good use by giving away to 20 reusable bags of coffee grounds each day. These are available for locals to collect from the Baker’s Room.

Used coffee grounds have a wide range of uses, from enriching garden soil with nitrogen and deterring pests such as ants and snails to acting as a natural deodoriser or even a cleaning solution.

The Baker’s Room has also come up with a novel way of using the trimmings left behind when it makes fresh croissants. Rather than discard these buttery

offcuts, they are transformed into ‘cruffins’ - a croissant-muffin hybrid that’s become a local favourite.

And any croissants that don’t find a home by the end of the day are reborn as rich bread and butter puddings, turning what might have been waste into

something warming, nostalgic, and delicious.

Finally, the food market chefs refuse to discard leftover ingredients or unloved vegetable parts such as broccoli stalks, sprout peelings or wonky veg.

The team sees potential rather than waste and has invented a range of ‘Waste Knot’ dishes come in. These aren’t mainstay menu items, but occasional specials that make the most of surplus ingredients and kitchen creativity.

“We work hard all year round to minimise waste across everything we do – from prep to plate,” said Nick Male, Executive Chef at Unity Place. “It’s a constant effort, but it’s one we believe in. Food is too valuable to be thrown away.

“From our day-to-day preparation to the occasional special dish or reuse initiative, we take a considered approach to food waste across Unity Place,”

“Stop Food Waste Day is a good opportunity to highlight some of those quieter efforts and show how even small amounts of surplus can be put to good use.”

All food and beverage operations in the market are run by Restaurant Associates, which is part of Compass Group, with sustainability at the core of their day-to-day business.

Unity Place is becoming MK’s top destination for dining, work and leisure. The sustainably designed venue is a base for Santander and other smaller businesses and also an innovative hub for the community.

Designed and built over eight floors, it includes eateries, social enterprises, business ventures, wellness amenities and conference and event facilities.

You can find out more about Unity Place’s food and beverage outlets here.

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