1. Rich rewards
Salt & Straw, a 10-unit ice cream concept based in Portland, Ore., launched a menu of 15 seasonal flavors featuring rescued food. Taylor Malek, Salt & Straw’s co-founder and head ice cream maker, partnered with about 20 farmers, produce distributors, brewers, local nonprofit food recovery organizations and even grocery stores and a movie theater (for popcorn) to procure products that would normally go to waste. The ice cream flavors included lemon curd and whey, celery root and strawberry celery leaf jam (using overripe berries), and bourbon-distilled cherries ambrosia (mixing vegan mayonnaise with boozy cherries left after whiskey-making). The rescued ice creams ran as LTOs this summer, with staff relaying the story behind each flavor to build awareness of food waste and childhood hunger.