Upcycled Grain Project (UGP), the sustainability initiative founded snack brand Rutherford & Meyer, rescues the leftover grain from beer brewing to create crisps, adding to a growing trend of eco-conscious products.
Rutherford & Meyer founded UGP in 2019; the concept was born out of the idea that food manufacturers should leave the planet better than they found it. By repurposing wheat from local breweries, the UGP has created a smart and sustainable recipe.
After discovering the amount of food waste leftover from beer-brewing processes, UGP was struck with the idea to transform ‘spent’ grain into crisps.
Wheat grains, which are traditionally discarded, are instead mixed with other natural ingredients, including at least 26 per cent real fruit, to create vegan friendly snacks that don’t call for new resources.
The idea behind the project is that no material gets left behind, only crackers that do their part to reduce food waste.
UGP says its brand ethos is as easy to digest as the products themselves: they grow, brew and ‘rescue’ grains and turn them into something special.
UGP says the upcycling process isn’t just good for the planet, but good for consumers, too.
The spent grain helps to create nutty, sweet and wholesome treats without any alcoholic aftertastes. The unlikely ingredient is also bursting with nutritional value. When steeping the melt barley for beer-brewing, none of the nutritional benefits are lost. The rescued grain is packed with fibre and protein, as well as the added benefits of vitamins and amino-acids. Additionally, all crisps are vegan-friendly and GMO free.
Upcycled Grain Crisps are available in 4 flavours, Raisin and Rosemary, Orange and Sesame, Cranberry and Coconut, and Fig and Cardamom, and is available in selected Woolworths supermarkets in the biscuit aisle.
Rutherford & Meyer have been committed to sustainability since they were first established by two farming friends in New Zealand in 1996. A major goal of the UGP is to ‘close the loop’ in food manufacturing and they plan to do this by sourcing reusable materials and lessening the extent of food wastage currently occurring and so, Rutherford & Meyer are leading by example in their efforts of sustainability.
