Justin Moorehouse talks all things sustainability

Justin Moorehouse, Aramark Ireland chef and sustainability champion, shared with Riona Phelan, Nutrition Intern Aramark Ireland, some of his sustainability tips and tricks.

Here are some of the highlights from their session.

Riona: Justin, thank you for joining me today to talk about sustainability. Before we start on the questions, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and what sparked your interest in sustainability?

Justin: Well, I grew up in Wexford and my grandparents had what they called a “home farm”. It was about twice the size of a regular back garden. But they grew their own potatoes, onions, carrots and other winter vegetables, which could be stored after harvest. I watched them peel the vegetables and use them in their entirety. Nothing went in the bin and even the peelings went towards their compost heap. To see food come full circle like that fascinated me even from the early age of 6 or 7. It taught me to respect food and the hard work that goes into producing it.  

In recent years my interest grew to the point of being fanatical about finding new and innovative ways of what was once considered food waste or compost. My mantra is, ‘it's not food waste, it’s unused food!’. 

Riona: If you could choose 1 recipe, that is both good for people and the planet, what would it be?

Justin: My favourite thing to make is a multi-seed porridge and yogurt bread. It is so simple to make and fills you up nicely for the day as a breakfast option, or as a snack during the day. I have a video of this bread which includes the ingredients and method, so be sure to try it out yourself!

Riona: Have you any simple tips on how people can prevent food waste at home?

Justin: Never shop hungry is an obvious one but I think one of the main tips would be to avoid doing the “big shop”, especially if the shop or market is within walking distance. We have all pulled something from the back of the fridge that we forgot about simply because it was out of sight. Smaller and more frequent shopping helps us not only to avoid this but to focus on what we have in the fridge and therefore decreases the chances of waste. Planning ahead and creating menus for the week is effective in putting a stop to impulse buying. However, if that’s not your thing then make full use of your freezer. I have often made a soup or stew from items that were coming close to their use by date. I then break them down into individual portions and freeze them. This increases the shelf life of your food for a further 2- 3 months! 

Riona: Besides food waste prevention, what are your top 3 tips on how to be more sustainable and eat a sustainable diet?

Justin: 1. Be mindful – It’s easy to go into a supermarket and pick up something without realising how far its travelled and the impact it is having on our planet. Take a moment, check its origin and look for Irish grown produce. The origin of food is now clearly labelled so there really is no excuse. To make it simpler why not visit your local farmers market, not only do you know that it’s in season, but you know exactly where it’s coming from. People often say to me that farmers markets can be more expensive and maybe they are right in that assumption, but it also makes the consumer very aware of the price they paid and therefore less likely to waste the produce. 

2. Reduce meat and dairy intake – If you are a vegan or vegetarian and eating locally grown produce, then you are already there when it comes to a sustainable diet for you and the planet. However, if you are a meat eater then the best option would be a flexitarian approach. For me personally I always have a vegan, Irish grown breakfast, okay well it’s just porridge but it’s a start. And when I do have some meat or fish, it’s a smaller portion.  

3. Grow your own! – You don’t have to have a 10-acre farm to grow your own food. A small plot in the back garden or simply growing your own herbs in a window box will do the job. More and more companies in Ireland are selling “GIY” packs. It’s a small but simple step to helping us become more sustainable. 

Riona: How do you engage sustainable practices in the workplace?

Justin:  In the workplace the ethos is simple, I ask the chefs to ask themselves 2 questions: 1) Can I find a way to use this? and 2) Is the stock pot or compost bin the only option? 

For a few months, the only food bin in the kitchen was beside my station. I questioned absolutely everything that went in the bin. As time progressed the food bin became noticeably lighter. Now all you see in the food bin is eggshells. It is no longer a conscious choice for the chefs to throw something away, the habit has been formed.  

So now we make Kimchi from cauliflower leaves, coleslaw from shredded broccoli stalks, we pickle anything that can be pickled and more recently we dehydrate apple and pear skins and blitz them down to use as a natural sweetener. 

We make cakes from chapelure crumbs (bread crumbs). We also make our own oat and hazelnut milk and use the pulp to make cookies. We grow our own herbs, garlic, kale, and chard in our garden troughs.  

Melon skins are used to make an infused water that we supply to the client. Any leftover milk from the coffee shop is used to make ricotta and the whey from this process is added to our smoothies to increase the protein content. Syrups are made using fruit peels and fair-trade sugar.  

And whilst all of this is a good start, it is just the beginning.   

Riona: Justin thank you so much for your time and fantastic tips regarding all things sustainability. I will be sure to try out the multi-seed porridge and yogurt bread and let you know how I get on!

Justin: Riona it has been great to talk to you about sustainability and thank you so much for having me on to share my knowledge with you.