An Oxfordshire business that uses ugly veg in its products has secured its first listing with a major retailer.
The Wonky Food Co, which was started last year, will be supplying its first range of three relishes to The Midcounties Co-operative Food store in Chipping Norton. The new products will form part of the retailer's ‘Best of Our Counties’ range, which champions over 800 food and drink products locally sourced from Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties.
The relishes are made from fruit and vegetables that are deemed too 'ugly' for the shop shelves. The chutneys available are Chilli Tomato, Hot Pepper and Lime, and Tangy Onion.
John Cavers had the idea for The Wonky Food Co when working on a kiwi farm in New Zealand while backpacking through the area. He says he was dismayed by the amount of ‘wonky’ fruit he was told to pull off vines and throw on the floor by farmers, as its unusual shape was thought to prevent it from being profitable.
Upon his return to the UK, along with his sister Ashley, Cavers started cooking with fruit and vegetables that had passed their best before date or were too misshapen to be sold, but still perfectly good to eat. Soon after, they joined forces with professional caterer Laura Snook to form The Wonky Food Company.
The firm's relishes are traceable, with a code on the jar that allows buyers to follow the ingredients’ journey from farm to fork, as well as access a range of recipe ideas.
Co-founder Ashley Cavers said: “We’ve come a long way since we started wanting to combat food waste and provide a delicious, versatile product for consumers, who are increasingly more concerned not just with quality but with the provenance and sustainability of their food.
“We’re hugely grateful to The Midcounties Co-operative for supporting us throughout our journey to being sold on shelves - they used to supply us with surplus produce when we were just in our beginning stages. We are looking forward to working with them on future products as we expand and grow.”
Matt Fletcher, direct sourcing manager at The Midcounties Co-operative Food, said: “The Best of Our Counties range is all about celebrating the fantastic food and drink available in our communities and supporting the talented local suppliers behind the products.
“Working with Wonky Food Co is extra special as it all began with Ashley and John using fresh produce that would otherwise have gone to waste. The resulting chutneys are delicious and we are sure our customers will love the taste and the motivation behind them.”
