Greyhound’s “Perfectly Imperfect” menu makes the most of ugly produce
Ballooning zucchinis, crinkled passion fruit and bumpy sweet potatoes steal the show.
Greyhound Cafe recently jumped on the anti-food-waste train with its “Perfectly Imperfect” campaign—but there's a bit of a twist. While similar food-waste initiatives focus on saving excess food from kitchens across Thailand (like last year’s {Re} Food Forum, which also discussed wider food sustainability), Greyhound’s effort targets unsightly food (wrinkly carrots, misshapen apples, etc.) that shoppers and supermarkets often avoid. According to the Royal Project Foundation, which is collaborating on the project alongside Citibank, about 30-percent of its produce is discarded before entering supermarkets. Greyhound’s menu sources from that 30-percent to build seven new dishes, available at all Greyhound Cafe branches from now until Aug 31.
The menu riffs on local and international styles, like in the zucchini spaghetti (a mixture of pasta noodles and thinly sliced zucchini served with a side bowl of spicy nam prik ong and raw vegetables) and the “Twisted Udon” (a bowl of savory udon broth with thick pork slices and a side of fried veg). Do try the refreshing Summer Granita, made with sweet and tangy passion fruit bits blitzed with ice, soda and mint. In total, you can choose from one salad, three mains and two desserts, all made with unsightly produce of some kind.
Over the past couple of years, Bangkokians have become increasingly concerned with food waste, not just in their homes but at their favorite venues. 2018’s {Re} Food Forum spearheaded by Bo.lan’s Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and Dylan Jones got the public conversation going. There are also organizations like Lightblue Environmental Consulting popping up to educate big hospitality brands on methods to reduce food waste.
Throughout the campaign, Greyhound and Citibank are hosting a promotion with a bundle of prizes (big prizes, like a four-day trip to Geneva, Switzerland worth 80k). You can see more details about that promotion here (Thai language).
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