Food wastage is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions yet still, each and everyday food items are discarded due to aesthetic imperfections.

To combat food wastage and challenge perceptions around meals made with wonky-looking fruit and veg, with the help of Splendid Communications, Oddbox has partnered with The Spread Eagle, a Hackney-based vegan pub to present a food-waste fighting feast. 

The aptly named ‘Odd Five Ways’ menu launched in February and saw Oddbox partner with the pub to host a five-course meal. The menu featured a series of mouth-watering dishes made from Oddbox fresh fruit and veg rescued from farms where it was at risk of going to waste. The Spread Eagle is London’s first fully vegan pub and was nominated for the Innovator of the Year for the GQ Food & Drink Awards in 2019. 

The five-course set menu was developed by Gina Hopkins, The Spread Eagle's Executive Chef and Masterchef Professionals 2021 contestant. The Odd Five Ways is a vegan-friendly play on the famous ‘pork four ways’; a technique honed by top chefs to demonstrate the versatility of pork. 

In place of pork, this season Oddbox has rescued over 330 tonnes of carrots from growers rejected by retailers for being “too big”. These carrots became the star of the Odd Five Ways menu with diners able to taste just how versatile carrot can be as it features in every course, from the carrot-based cocktail aperitif, all the way through to a root vegetable twist on a classic carrot cake dessert. 

“We’ve always been keen to demonstrate that cooking with vegetables is fun and delicious and the Odd Five Ways menu does just that. We’ve made the carrot the centrepiece but the truth is every vegetable can be made to shine when you are versatile with them.” explained Luke McLoughlin, Co-Founder of The Spread Eagle, “We've always been advocates for sustainability and minimal waste at The Spread Eagle, so this is an ideal partnership and we hope to inspire diners to make a difference to the planet through the food they eat, and by reducing food waste both on the farm and at home.”

The menu not only showcased the carrot but featured other “surplus” and “wonky” winter fruit and veg including sprouts, kale and nectarines. 

1.2 billion tonnes of food are lost globally on farms before, during and after harvest and the Odd Five Ways menu aims to raise awareness and encourage people to eat the produce that’s been grown when it’s available.

“With Odd Five Ways we are showcasing an exciting, flexible and resourceful approach to food, called “grower-led eating.” It’s cooking what’s available from farmers when it’s available. This helps them sell off their delicious produce no matter whether they have “too many” or it's deemed “too odd” looking.” explained Emilie Vanpoperinghe, CEO and Co-Founder of Oddbox.

Vanpoperinghe added; “Grower-led eating helps tackle the endemic issue of surplus and cosmetic specs in the food industry, and is therefore an effective way to reduce food waste. Which, as we know, is a major contributor to the climate crisis - accounting for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions” 

Priced at £30, £5 from each diner has been donated to The Felix Project, one of the Oddbox charity partners, who tackle food redistribution by taking good quality surplus food from right across the food industry and get it to charities and schools so they can provide healthy meals and help the most vulnerable in our society.