Our Story

Our Story

Wasted Kitchen started with a simple idea: good food and less waste should go hand in hand.

What began as a small food business making the most of seasonal and surplus produce has grown into something bigger — proof that real food, thoughtful sourcing and sustainability can work commercially in the real world.

Our founder, Katy Newton, came to food after a career in marketing, communications and audience building, connecting people and ideas. A two-year adventure crewing on a traditional wooden tall ship in the Pacific changed her perspective completely. Living off-grid, with nowhere to throw rubbish except the ocean, waste stopped being an abstract idea. You learned quickly to use what you had, cook creatively and think differently about resources — a mindset that now sits at the heart of everything we do.

Back in Kent, that thinking became Wasted Kitchen.

Since launching in 2019, we’ve turned surplus produce into meals, salads, ferments and pickles, working closely with local growers and partners to show what’s possible when food systems are designed differently. Along the way, we’ve been recognised with 15 Great Taste Stars and were proud to win the BBC Food & Farming Award in 2024 — but more importantly, we’ve learnt what really works in practice.

Now our focus is shifting again.

Today, we’re moving beyond simply making food ourselves. Increasingly, we’re working with businesses, organisations and communities to reconnect people with real food, reduce waste and create practical, scalable change.

Because the biggest impact doesn’t come from one kitchen.
It comes from helping many more people cook, think and work differently.