Food waste is a major sustainability issue around the world and two Singaporean institutions, Baker & Cook and Brewerkz, have joined forces in a sustainable collaboration to do something about this.
Baker & Cook, an artisan bakery and food store established in 2012 by celebrity baker Dean Brettschneider, and Brewerkz, Singapore’s original craft brewery and last year’s champion mid-sized brewery of Asia, are collaborating to use leftover and waste ingredients from each other’s processes in their ingredients lists.
They aim to tackle the matter of food waste, as annually more than 40 million tonnes of brewers’ spent grains are produced by breweries around the world. Some of this is turned into animal feed but the bulk of it is discarded.
Under this circular food creation partnership, Brewerkz will use surplus sourdough bread from Baker & Cook to brew their Earthbrew Sourdough Pale Ale, whereas Baker & Cook will use spent grains from Brewerkz to bake their NEWGrain+ Sourdough breads.
(Photo: Brewerkz)
NEWGrain+ Sourdough is made using the time-honoured method of handcrafting sourdough and incorporates NEWGrain+, a highly sustainable food ingredient created from brewers’ spent grains, a residual by-product of the beer brewing process. Each loaf of bread contains 64g of NEWGrain+ equating to 30% of the baker’s flour recipe.
“We are thrilled to embark on this extraordinary collaboration with Brewerkz, as we share a deep-rooted passion for sustainability and a dedication to our craft”, said Anders Boye, CEO and Co-Founder of Baker & Cook. “Together, Baker & Cook and Brewerkz bring our expertise in baking and brewing to create something truly exceptional.”
“Our NEWGrain+ Sourdough bread and Earthbrew Sourdough Pale Ale are not just delicious products; they represent our unwavering commitment to fighting food waste. This collaboration is a celebration of baking and culinary artistry, sustainability and the remarkable possibilities that emerge when likeminded artisans join forces.”
As for EarthBrew Sourdough Pale Ale, the brewing process uses surplus sourdough bread from Baker & Cook. The bread is collected from supermarkets around the island as well as online platforms, turned into toasted sourdough and mixed with the grain bill at the beginning of the beer brewing process. For every 2,500 litres of beer, approximately 180 kilograms of surplus sourdough bread is used, making up 20% of the beer’s grain bill.
The resulting brew is crisp and refreshing, offering grapefruit-like hop flavours and bready toast notes, complemented by delightful aromas of pink grapefruit, pine and apricot with a cleansing bitter aftertaste arising from the hop additions.
“We are delighted to partner with Baker & Cook on this unique collaboration. Earthbrew Sourdough Pale Ale and NEWGrain+ Sourdough marks the next milestone in our sustainability journey, which started with our collaboration with Sentosa and the PUB,” said Tan Wee Tuck, Co-owner, and Managing Director of Brewerkz. “This is our third sustainable beer collaboration and our first for NEWGrain+, a sustainable food product which we are developing. Sourdough bread is a perfect application for NEWGrain+, and Baker & Cook is the perfect partner for this.”
Brewerkz’s first sustainable beer was NEWBrew, first launched in 2018. This brew was made using NEWater, brewed in collaboration with the Public Utilities Board of Singapore (PUB). Their second sustainable beer was the Sentosa Islander Brew series, brewed in collaboration with Sentosa Development Corporation. The series is Singapore’s first leisure destination-inspired beers and Singapore’s first carbon neutral brews.
EarthBrew Sourdough Pale Ale and NEWGrain+ Sourdough will be exclusively available only at Brewerkz outlets and e-store as well as Baker & Cook stores and e-store.
