TORONTO – River Road Bakehouse®, a new meaningful lineup of quality artisan breads, is hitting shelves across the U.S. this month with the mission of helping reduce the nation's $165-billion-dollar food waste problem. Studies by both the EPA and NRDC reveal Americans waste approximately 35 million tons of food per year. In light of this staggering figure, River Road Bakehouse has launched the #RoadtoZeroFoodWastecampaign to support food waste awareness and education.
"Food waste is a fundamental problem in the U.S.," says John F. Kennedy, VP of Marketing at River Road Bakehouse. "The launch of River Road Bakehouse and the #RoadtoZeroFoodWaste program is an engaging way for consumers to try great bread and think twice about food waste reduction."
The brand has partnered with the University of Guelph, an Ontario, Canada-based agricultural institution that is renowned for their work in food waste, with a $15,000 donation to the Guelph Food Waste Project. The partnership will support food waste research aimed at uncovering new and actionable insights that will contribute to reducing food waste across North America.
"At the University of Guelph, understanding causes and volumes of food waste is our passion, and partnering with River Road Bakehouse is a natural fit," states Michael Von Massow, Associate Professor, Food Agriculture and Resource Economics. "Together we will give North Americans the information and tools they require to reduce food waste in their day-to-day lives."
In addition to their partnership with the University of Guelph, River Road Bakehouse is partnering with 12 non-profit organizations across North America, each with a mandate to reduce food waste in the communities that they serve. Supported charities include:
- Lovin' Spoonful's – Boston
- Food Recovery Network – Chicago Chapter
- Food Recovery Network – Buffalo Chapter
- Food Recovery Network – Grand Rapids Chapter
- Waste Not Want Not – Florida
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina – South Carolina
- The Nashville Food Project – Nashville
- Farm Folk City Folk – Vancouver
- LeftOvers Calgary – Calgary
- Second Harvest – Toronto
- Food Sharing Ottawa – Ottawa
- FOUND NS – Halifax
To support these charities, River Road Bakehouse developed an engaging and educational food waste quiz on their website. For every user's first completion of the quiz, River Road Bakehouse will donate $0.25 to one of the above charities of choice, with an additional $0.25donation if the results of the quiz are shared by the user on social media. A $0.50 donation to an organization is the equivalent of diverting one meal from landfill and supplying it to someone in need.
Operating out of zero-waste bakeries, River Road Bakehouse breads are made using simple ingredients, and traditional European baking methods. The brand's family of breads include Baguettes, Ciabatta Buns, Brioche and Sesame Burger Buns, Ciabatta Loaves, Roasted Garlic Ovals and delightful Dinner Roll Clusters. For those looking for an authentic bakery experience, products can also be warmed in the oven for 5 minutes at 400°F.
"We're a brand with a purpose and a promise," adds Kennedy, "Our purpose is to help drive the conversation about food waste, and while doing so we promise the very best tasting quality artisan bread by offering an Artisan Taste Guarantee."
Designed to provide the best-possible customer service experience, the Artisan Taste Guarantee Program allows for customers to receive a full refund if they are not satisfied with the freshness level or quality of their River Road Bakehouse product.
River Road Bakehouse products are available in the US at Meijer, Publix, TOPS, Food City, and Roche Bros. for $2.99-$3.49.*
About River Road Bakehouse
River Road Bakehouse launched in 2017 to create European-style artisanal breads that are quality and affordable. River Road Bakehouse products include baguettes, buns & rolls, and loaves. Operating in zero food waste facilities, River Road Bakehouse is committed to eliminating food waste with their #RoadToZeroFoodWaste program. For more information, visit RiverRoadBakehouse.com
About the University of Guelph Food Waste Project
The Guelph Food Waste Project is a multi-disciplinary research and outreach program based at the University of Guelph. The project is focused on better understanding the volume and causes of food waste in North America and developing initiatives to reduce it. Food loss is becoming a high profile issue for governments, industry and consumers. Looking at waste at all stages of the value chain provides a complete picture of issues and opportunities for improvement for all stakeholders.
*Pricing at the sole discretion of the retailer
Source: River Road Bakehouse
