Every Crumb Counts: Unity Place marks stop food waste day with tasty ingenuity.
Milton Keynes, 22nd April 2025 – Unity Place is dishing up a timely reminder this Stop Food Waste Day (30th April) – that great food doesn’t need to cost the earth.
With a vibrant 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.
Home to spots like the Urban Food Market, Unity Sky Lounge, Dipna Anand Kitchen & Bar, the Baker’s Room, and five coffee outlets, Unity Place has plenty to offer. But beyond the flavours and variety is a shared commitment across all food and drink teams to plan carefully, order thoughtfully, and waste as little as possible.
“We work hard all year round to minimise waste across everything we do – from prep to plate,” says 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.”
A Fresh Take on Surplus
When it comes to leftover ingredients or unloved vegetable parts – broccoli stalks, sprout peelings or wonky veg – the team doesn’t see waste, they see potential. That’s where the ‘Waste Knot’ dishes come in. These aren’t mainstay menu items, but occasional specials that make the most of surplus ingredients and kitchen creativity.
If there’s extra produce to be used, the team gets inventive – incorporating these into tasty dishes that appear on menus across Unity Place when the opportunity arises. It’s one more way the team brings flavour and sustainability together.
Cruffins, Croissants, and Clever Baking
The Baker’s Room has taken this idea even further. When croissants are made, there’s always a bit of trimmings left behind – and rather than discard these buttery offcuts, they’re transformed into cruffins: a croissant-muffin hybrid that’s become a local favourite.
While croissants which don’t find a home by the end of the day are reborn as rich and comforting bread and butter puddings – turning what might’ve been waste into something warming, nostalgic, and delicious.
From Coffee to Compost
With so many coffee spots in one place, there’s also a steady supply of used coffee grounds – and Unity Place are now putting these to good use. Starting this month, up to 20 reusable bags of coffee grounds will be available each day from the Baker’s Room, free for locals to collect.
Used coffee grounds have a wide range of secondary uses, from enriching garden soil and deterring pests, to acting as a natural deodoriser or even as a cleaning solution.
“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,” concludes Nick. “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.”
Find out more about Unity Place’s Food & Beverage outlets at www.unityplace.co.uk.
