Feature
Posted by
Food Drink Devon
Posted on
4 Mar 2022
This month we’re shining our sustainability spotlight on Devon Farm Kitchen. We asked them to tell us about what they are doing to ensure it’s a sustainable food delivery service.
About Devon Farm Kitchen
Devon Farm Kitchen delivers ‘deliciously satisfying’ frozen meals made with locally sourced ingredients direct to homes in South Devon, with every single penny of profit donated to the Rowcroft Hospice, a charity which supports adults with life-limiting illnesses.
What have you done to make your business more environmentally friendly?
At Devon Farm Kitchen, we pride ourselves on being ‘zero landfill’, and we strive to put environmental considerations ahead of profit. Meals are delivered on returnable and reusable ceramic plates making it easy for customers to cook the meals in a microwave or conventional oven, and they can be used time and time again as our driver will collect the plates and bowls on the next delivery round. Whats more, the clay for the plates is sourced in Cornwall. There is no plastic waste and the cardboard packaging that houses each plate or bowl is 100% recyclable, compostable and carbon neutral.
In the kitchen, we keep food waste to an absolute minimum, and we’re always looking for new ways to reduce our carbon footprint. We’re delighted to be using the food waste recycling company DCW, to ensure that any waste that we generate is put to good use as compost, or as energy to power local farms and factories.
When sourcing ingredients for our meals, we take into account many factors including taste, quality, texture, and we’re passionate about provenance. We try to buy predominantly from Devon suppliers, so that food miles are kept to a minimum and so that we can support our local businesses. We favour suppliers with eco and ethical credentials, and where possible, we buy free-range and organic produce.
We pride ourselves on knowing the provenance of our ingredients and we can trace our meats right back to the farm, chosen for its high welfare standards. We believe local matters, so we support our local farming and fishing communities. It also helps us to reduce our carbon footprint.
Food is cooked in our kitchen at the Rowcroft Hospice in Torquay and we employ local chefs and a local driver.
Every single penny of profit is given back to the Rowcroft Hospice, and therefore back into the local community to care for local patients.
What would you like to change in the future to improve your sustainability credentials further?
We are constantly looking at ways to lessen our footprint and at changes we’d like to make in the future. These include electric vehicles, more organic produce and 100% local ingredients. All our suppliers are from Devon, but some of their produce is sourced outside of Devon.
What tips do you have for other businesses that would like to become more sustainable?
There are many ways businesses can work to become more sustainable. These include investing in local suppliers and the local economy; looking at ways to reduce mileage of goods travelled (particularly air miles), and considering all aspects of packaging from an environmental point of view.
Putting in place systems for recycling, and ensuring minimum waste are also very beneficial. At the same time, it’s essential to ensure the highest quality of service, and to engage with customers to seek their views to help shape the product.
