Today, Re-, a sustainable cocktail bar in Sydney’s South Everleigh, launches a bold initiative utilising salvaged produce for its re-launched menu.
The brainchild of Matt Whiley, Re- is working with local venues and suppliers to collect and reuse food waste and by-products that would otherwise be landfill-bound.
“It’s never been more important to recognise that we all have a responsibility to make changes now that are so desperately needed to shape our future for the better,” said Whiley.
Quick to assure patrons that salvaged food is perfectly safe to eat, he said: “Food waste isn’t mouldy stuff, it is more often perfect produce that someone doesn’t want.”
From the 10 most commonly wasted foods, including bread, dairy, bananas, rice, chicken and eggs, leafy greens, apples, tomatoes, seafood shells and root vegetables, Whiley has created 100 pantry staples used along with house spirits to create an eye-opening menu.
Some of the more adventurous cocktails feature chicken feet caramel, caramelised carrot and potato coffee or cheese whey garum.
“For this menu, we’ve turned each of the world’s most wasted food items into 100 pantry staples. From here, we will create recipes with these ingredients, offering an ever-evolving list of cocktails and drinks,” said Whiley.
Everything about Re-, from the menu to the glassware to the upholstery, exhibits a deep commitment to sustainability.
“We developed Re- with an overriding commitment to sustainability with a minimal-waste mentality, and so this new menu is going to help us maintain this ethos. We think about waste all wrong,” he said.
The bar, tabletops and staircase at Re- look like stylish terrazzo but are, in fact, made from recycled milk bottles, while the “leather” banquettes are made from pineapple fibre leaf.
Working with popular Australian brands such as Maison Balzac and Mud, Re-‘s glassware features minor imperfections that would usually predestine it for landfill, while the bar’s ceramics are crafted from excess clay.
A pioneer, Matt Whiley was awarded the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award in 2021 at The World’s 50 Best Bars.
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