At Embrace, we are all about sustainability and reducing waste. So we were happy to see that P’Nut Street Noodles has partnered with renowned chef and MasterChef Australia 2017 winner, Diana Chan, to create a sustainable Asian Soul Food menu that minimises food wastage.
The Asian Soul Food Minimum Waste, Maximum Taste initiative, was rolled out in all P’Nut restaurants on the 1st of June, aiming to raise public awareness of unnecessary food waste and inspire Australians to become more resourceful and creative with their food scraps that often end up in landfill unnecessarily. P’Nut General Manager, Petra Orrenius said an estimated 7.3 million tonnes of food is wasted in Australia each year, and 65 per cent of the food that is wasted daily can be repurposed.
“We wanted to create Asian Soul Food Dishes that not only tasted amazing, but also helped minimise food waste within our own kitchens,” said Petra.
“We realised that we could utilise the often-unused vegetable portions, such as broccoli stems and carrot ends, that currently go to waste as the perfect base for some beautiful soups and stir fry dishes. “Working with Diana to create an exciting new menu for our customers, but also one that helps educate our staff on how to be even more resourceful was such a great experience,” she said.
The menu, developed by Chef Diana Chan, will challenge the traditional, featuring an enticing Malaysian Fried Rice, Black Pepper Noodles and Malaysian Hearty Soup, as well as an indulgent side of handmade Pork Belly Wonton Dumplings served with homemade chilli paste, all using bok choy, broccoli steam, ginger, shallots and carrots that would otherwise be wasted.
In 2017, Diana Chan’s hard work was acknowledged when she was recognised as Australia’s MasterChef Champion, before moving on to host SBS series, Asia Unplated with Diana Chan, which explores the fresh, aromatic flavours of Asia and introduces viewers to unique and sustainable cooking styles.
Diana Chan said the vision behind the Asian Soul Food Minimum Waste, Maximum Taste menu was to create a tasty affordable Asian soul food menu that was easy to replicate at home and inspire individuals to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle by using whole vegetables.
“I have chosen to collaborate with P’Nut as our values in providing fresh, authentic, and sustainable Asian soul food that is made from scratch, are both really strong and align well with one another,” said Diana.
“As a chef, I feel responsible for caring about the ingredients I use and have always been passionate about finding ways to reduce food waste, as well as increasing awareness throughout the sector and general public.
“I am so pleased to see restaurants becoming more environmentally conscious and utilise some of their ingredients that would otherwise be going to waste in their menu, and even more so in restaurant chains like P’Nut,” said Diana.
