Specialty Produce and Waste Not SD will host their inaugural event - Wasted: Sustainable Cooking + Mixology Competition on Wednesday, August 23 at 7pm at Brick in Point Loma's Liberty Station. Competitors, each partnered with a Kitchens For Good student, will take aim at a frequently wasted food item and repurpose it into a bite-sized dish, either savory, dessert, or cocktail, with guests having the opportunity to vote for their favorite in each category.
Benefitting local charity Kitchens For Good, Wasted will feature competitors - including chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists - from a variety of San Diego’s best restaurants and beverage companies like Addison, George’s at the Cove, The Land and Water Company, Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub, Nine-Ten, Rancho Valencia, Snakeoil Cocktail Company and more. In addition to enjoying delicious bites and beverages, Wasted’s master of ceremonies, Sam "The Cooking Guy" Zien, will introduce attendees to representatives from nonprofits leading the fight against food insecurity and hunger, including San Diego Food Bank, San Diego Food Systems Alliance, and Surfrider Foundation. By partnering with Closing the Loop, and following sustainable practices, Wasted will avoid any unnecessary waste and be as close to zero waste as possible. Come prepared to eat with your hands - no plates or silverware allowed.
For 30 years Specialty Produce has been providing produce to restaurants, hotels, food trucks, and catering companies all over San Diego county. Last year they partnered with The San Diego Food Bank to launch their food recovery program, Waste Not SD, which serves the function of collecting surplus food from participating restaurants, as well as produce from their own warehouse, and facilitating the distribution of these collections to their nonprofit partners. Since launching the program last year Specialty Produce and Waste Not SD have rescued over 36,000 pounds of food.
The beneficiary of the event, Kitchens For Good, has a culinary training program for those facing barriers to employment for various reasons including former incarceration, aging out of the foster care system, and addiction and abuse recovery. In addition to offering catering services, Kitchens for Good also creates nutritious meals for the food insecure using rescued produce.
For 30 years Specialty Produce has been providing produce to restaurants, hotels, food trucks, and catering companies all over San Diego county. Last year they partnered with The San Diego Food Bank to launch their food recovery program, Waste Not SD, which serves the function of collecting surplus food from participating restaurants, as well as produce from their own warehouse, and facilitating the distribution of these collections to their nonprofit partners. Since launching the program last year Specialty Produce and Waste Not SD have rescued over 36,000 pounds of food.
The beneficiary of the event, Kitchens For Good, has a culinary training program for those facing barriers to employment for various reasons including former incarceration, aging out of the foster care system, and addiction and abuse recovery. In addition to offering catering services, Kitchens for Good also creates nutritious meals for the food insecure using rescued produce.
Tickets to Wasted are available online starting at $40 and include tastes of competitor dishes and cocktails. This 21-and-over event will take place at 2863 Historic Decatur Road in San Diego's Liberty Station. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit WastedSD.com.
