Susgrainable Baked Goods
As important as are our own personal steps toward combatting food waste, really making a dent in the problem requires action from food and beverage producers. We were pleased to learn about a Vancouver start-up company that creates healthier baked goods while maximizing food resources.
It started when MBA student Marc Wandler heard about a program colleague and local craft brewer who was facing challenges in disposing of spent grain, a by-product of the brewing process. While some was diverted to animal feed, the recent explosion of craft breweries meant that some in the industry were actually paying to have it taken away and composted.
Marc recruited friends Angela Poole, a keen baker and Health Sciences graduate, and Clinton Bishop, whose background was in healthcare operations. They worked to develop a recipe that would turn spent grain, which is high in fibre and plant-based protein, into a healthy treat.
They developed four Susgrainable cookies and a banana bread, all low on the glycemic index. If that makes you want to stop reading, hold on. With flavours like chocolate chip (the Original), oatmeal-raisin (The Old Fashioned), and sour cherry and macadamia (The Sour Mac), the cookies are surprisingly tasty and satisfying. There is also a vegan option called The Animal Lover, featuring oats, pecans, and cranberries tied together with the zingy zest of orange.
The company’s novel business concept has already been recognized, and the company was a finalist in the recent Small Business BC Awards.
You can find them in Vancouver at Nada Grocery, Bean Around the World café on Granville Street, and at Vancouver Farmers Markets’ West End and Main Street markets. They also have an innovative cookie club that allows small groups and corporate organizations to order cookies in advance. In the future, they have plans to work with local farmers, diverting so called ugly fruits and vegetables into product for developing a line of savoury snacks.
Susgrainable
150-1507 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 5C3
susgrainable.com
