Warner’s launches brand to tackle food waste

English gin producer Warner’s has launched Trash & Treasure, a multi-category brand that uses ‘rescued’ ingredients from local food producers.

Trash & Treasure’s Tropical Rum is distilled with pineapple and mango peels from a fruit processor local to the distillery, and then blended with waste passion fruit extracts and coconut husks.

Trash & Treasure Citrus Vodka features lemon peel from a fruit processor and is enhanced with malt dust from Everards Brewery in Leicester for ‘an extra smooth and creamy finish’.

Both expressions have an ABV of 37.5% and retail for RRP £26 (US$33).

Trash & Treasure launched in UK supermarket chain Tesco last week (1 February) and will be available in the on-trade via Whitbread and Everards from April.

Tom Warner, CEO of Warner’s Distillery, said: “As a certified B-Corp company with the planet at its heart, we wanted to raise awareness of how much unnecessary waste is produced by the industries we love, and how we can change our relationship with the things we consume by embracing a reduced waste approach.

“Knowing that the most thrown-away food group in the UK is fresh fruit and vegetables – a subject close to my heart after a decade in the produce industry – we began to think of ways to put this waste to better taste and challenge consumers’ perceptions.

“Trash & Treasure has certainly inspired us, and we want it to inspire people all over the world, as well as other industries. We can all play our part in reversing needless waste and finding creative ways to upcycle it into new products.”

Last year, Warner’s secured a £1.5 million (US$1.8m) investment to fund its international expansion. It gained B-Corp certification in 2022.