The Shift
The Old Way: Bread Made to Be Thrown Away
The industrial food system creates structural waste by design. Sandwich factories discard 13,000 slices daily because consumers won't eat crusts. 44% of bread baked in the UK is never eaten.
- 44% of bread baked in the UK is never eaten
- 24 million slices thrown away daily
- Malted barley requires significant agricultural inputs
- Food waste responsible for 8% of global GHG emissions
The New Way: Brewing with Bread Instead of Barley
Toast collects surplus bread from sandwich makers and bakeries. This bread replaces 25-33% of the malted barley in every batch.
- Surplus bread replaces 25-33% of malted barley
- Open-source recipe enables global replication
- 100% profits to charity
- 50+ brewery collaborations worldwide
The Story
Founded in 2016 by Tristram Stuart, a food waste campaigner who discovered that bread is one of the most wasted foods globally.
Toast Ale is a craft brewery that uses surplus bread as a key ingredient.
Proof Points
Slices of surplus bread transformed into beer since 2016
Donated to charities fixing the food system
Highest of all UK breweries (median is 50.9)
Downloads of open-source homebrew recipe
Deep Dive
Innovation
Bread and barley both contain starches that yeast can ferment. By using fresh surplus bread as 25-33% of the grain bill, Toast reduces demand for virgin agricultural inputs.
Circular Model
The model is fully circular: bread waste becomes beer, spent grain goes to animal feed, profits fund further food waste reduction.
Community Impact
By open-sourcing their recipe, Toast has catalyzed a movement. Over 50 breweries globally now brew with surplus bread.
Business Results
Toast has grown from crowdfunded startup to major UK supermarket distribution, won Queen's Award for Enterprise.
Key Takeaway
The most sustainable ingredient is often the one that already exists but nobody's using. Toast proves that 'waste' is just a failure of imagination.
Founder Pathway
Brewery equipment requires ~$200K-$500K; bread sourcing is low cost
Best for craft brewery entrepreneurs or existing small breweries adding a line