O-FOOD

A SCANDINAVIAN FOOD BAR FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABLE FISH

O-food was born out of a realisation that consumption of a narrow set of fish species, is driving over-fishing and high intensity aquaculture. The mission was to make it easy and delicious for lunch-goers to eat a broader variety of fish and delicious plant-based meals. Following a successful pop-up, a permanent shop was set up in Old Spitalfields Market. In order to understand sustainability in fisheries first hand, the team and I went on several trips to Scotland to talk with fishermen and processors, and overall made a huge effort to source the best ingredients possible from suppliers we trusted.

THE BEAR KITCHEN

MAKING CLIMATE CONSCIOUS, HEALTHY FOOD AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE

Following the 'eat like a bear' philosophy, The Bear Kitchen created meal experiences for companies like AirBnB, Moving Brands, and Winnow. With plant-based 'core menus' and less but better quality meat and dairy as optional add-ons for flavour, we created an inclusive approach to office meals that respected personal preferences, whilst at the same time nudging people towards a more plant-centric way of eating. It was a huge success, but sadly had to close when then pandemic struck. During lock-down, the team was making free meals for front-line healthcare workers in the NHS, all the while thinking about how we could repurpose our approach to continue changing the world by changing the way we eat. ​

PULSE KITCHEN

EVERYDAY PULSE-POWERED MEALS FOR EVERYONE

The single most powerful thing each of us can do to improve our health and save the planet is to reduce our meat consumption. Pulses, the dried seeds of edible legumes, like chickpeas, beans and lentils, are nature's healthiest and most sustainable protein source. They were a key feature on every meal  The Bear Kitchen served, and this lead to the birth of Pulse Kitchen. The mission was to make it super convenient and delicious to enjoy pulses in everyday meals.

Our meal bases are pulse-based versions of much loved classics like Lentil & Mushroom Bolognese, Chickpea Tikka Masala, and Chilli non Carne. We work with contract caterers, who are looking for ways to add more pulses to their menu rotations and also sell our products in retail and online.

FOOD PHILOSOPHY

EAT LIKE A BEAR.

I believe that FOOD IS JOY. So, as an alternative to restrictive diet fads and dogmas, I came up with an alternative: eat like a bear. The idea came to me whilst on a walk in a Danish woodland. A friend and I were discussing the Paleo diet. "Surely", I said, "this doesn't make any sense. We would have eaten grains and legumes as part of a foraged diet. Where else would agriculture have come from?". My friend looked it up, and, as it turns out, the bear (unless she's a polar bear) does in fact eat up to 90% of its calories from plants. She doesn't eat any highly processed foods and factory farmed animals. Her diet is varied and seasonal. In practical terms, the 'eat like a bear' philosophy serves as a gentle guideline for a way that you and I can eat for the benefit of our health, well-being and the future of the planet. In line with Blue Zones, the foundation of the meal consists of PULSES + WHOLE GRAINS + FRUIT AND VEG + SEEDS AND NUTS with less but better quality MEAT AND DAIRY FOR FLAVOUR rather than being the main thing.