Local Brewing Co. will expand production of its brewing innovation, EcoCrumb, which turns surplus bread into beer, with the support of a $400k sustainability grant.

With millions of tonnes of bread wasted around the world every year, EcoCrumb was developed to reduce food waste by substituting one of the key brewing ingredients with a bread-based grain.

Nick Campbell, Co-founder of Melbourne-based brewery Local Brewing Co., says: “We’ve been brewing with repurposed bread for our limited-edition Surplus Series beers for a few years now, rescuing more than two tonnes of Coles Brand bread from waste.

“EcoCrumb upcycles surplus bread by dehydrating and milling it down into a crumb that then substitutes the traditional grain used in brewing. Our biggest challenge has been using the bread in the short window of time before it spoils.”

Local Brewing Co.’s most recent release in the Surplus Series was its Cirtus Hazy Pale Ale, which saved 100 kilograms of surplus bread from waste. Throughout the series, the brewery has also rescued more than 50 tonnes of fruit from waste, while spent grain from the brewing process is repurposed as animal feed.

Now the recipients of a $400k Coles Nurture Fund grant, Local Brewing Co. will invest in further research and equipment, allowing the brewery to produce 100 times the current volume of EcoCrumb and make it more accessible to Australia’s craft brewers.

“Thanks to the Coles Nurture Fund we now have the opportunity to advance our innovation by increasing its shelf life from just 48 hours to up to six months. Not only will this enable us to introduce EcoCrumb across our full range of beers but also produce a shelf-ready product on a national scale to encourage Aussie breweries to reduce their environmental footprint by using our grain substitute,” Campbell added.

Since 2015, the Coles Nurture Fund has offered more than $36m in financial support to 108 small- and medium-sized food and drink producers to help amplify their sustainability initiatives.

Coles Liquor Business Category Manager for Beer, Nick McArdle, said EcoCrumb shows what’s possible when innovation and a mission to reduce food waste meet.

“We’re so proud to have independent suppliers like Local Brewing Co. on our shelves that are pushing boundaries in the beer industry by using excess bread and turning it into a malt substitute for beer. Our customers have loved the limited-edition Surplus Series, the Citrus Hazy Pale – a delicious, easy drinking-beer that’s also a product of the recent trials of EcoCrumb.

“By further investing in the development of the EcoCrumb, we look forward to seeing Local Brewing Co.’s impact scale across their range nationally, minimise food waste and best of all deliver some great tasting beer.”

In June last year, independent brewer Rocky Ridge Brewing Co also received a $400k Coles Nurture Fund grant to accelerate its mission to become Australia’s first Net Zero Certified Sustainable brewery.

Anna Croft, Coles Group’s Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer, says such initiatives are an outstanding example of how small businesses are tackling sustainability concerns to better support their industries and communities.

“Through initiatives like the Coles Nurture Fund, we’re proud to back unique projects that drive innovation and help create a more sustainable future for Australia,” she added.

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