Foodchain: a sustainable restaurant industry

Foodchain is building a digital food marketplace in which high quality food is accessible and sustainably sourced. This platform uses technology to create a virtual community of chefs and suppliers, helping them overcome food supply challenges in the restaurant industry. By slimming down the restaurants’ supply chain, Foodchain not only makes this process more efficient but also more sustainable.

“Foodchain are really important to us, they have linked us directly with people who we wouldn’t have necessarily met otherwise… we’ve been able to concentrate on growing our business while they take care finding us new customers and logistics.”

           — Kyle and Lauren of Forest Coalpit Farm

A beneficial model for all parties

Foodchain offers an innovative system that allows producers and chefs to carry out their roles sustainably and in tandem.  

For producers, Foodchain creates a transparent supply model in which producers can communicate directly with their customers, cutting out the middleman. Previous agricultural methods of sale have resulted in a disconnect between producers and consumers, causing the extra care put into produce to go unnoticed in the sea of other producers and makers. By putting their name on their products and owning the supply chain, Foodchain rewards farmers who champion high quality, sustainable ingredients that are produced with care.

As for chefs, Foodchain helps restaurants to order produce from multiple suppliers more easily by providing a live feed of seasonal produce available each day. By gathering this information under one virtual roof, Foodchain equips chefs with the means to buy locally and support sustainable farming while also consolidating the logistics and invoicing of this process.

“The front and foremost thing, is how good the product is — it’s such high quality and that’s because its direct                   from source.”
            — Sam Bryant, Head Chef of Coalrooms restaurant.

A sustainable restaurant supply chain

Additionally, Foodchain improves the overall sustainability of the restaurant supply chain in a number of ways. By bringing together producers and chefs, this platform reduces food waste, as produce, where possible, can be picked, made, packed and slaughtered to order.

Foodchain’s network can reduce food miles and carbon emissions of the supply chain. Where produce would previously have moved from producer to wholesaler to customer, produce is now sent as directly as possible. Where food is transported, suppliers can use Foodchain to schedule joint deliveries of produce, limiting the number of cars on the road and thus car emissions. Foodchain also partners with Pedalme, a cycling courier service, who provide an environmentally friendly way of transporting produce.

To address plastic pollution in the restaurant industry, Foodchain is currently working to create a reusable form of packaging to be used by producers and chefs to minimise plastic usage.

“I want to create a way to work with producers which is more sustainable, that’s why I am so happy to have found Foodchain.”

           — Santiago Lastra, ex-Noma chef.

How to get involved:

• Are you a supplier looking for a route to market or consolidation? Or a chef looking to source high quality produce? Get in touch with Foodchain.

• Check out the Foodchain website.

• Follow Foodchain on Instagram.