Brewing with surplus bread, bakery waste and other discarded food is moving from experimental novelty to a rising sustainability practice within the craft beer industry. But what does it actually take to make it work? Based on research of seven European craft breweries this article from Milica Končar, an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh, explores the practical realities, benefits and barriers of brewing beer with food waste — and what other brewers can learn from early pioneers.
The idea of using food waste in beer production sounds like an obvious win. Brewers can save food waste, lower reliance on virgin grain, create local partnerships and build a sustainability story that resonates with drinkers — all while producing high-quality beer.
In practice, however, brewing with food waste is more complicated than simply throwing unsold bread into the mash tun.
While the concept has gained visibility in recent years, especially through breweries such as Toast Ale, relatively little information exists about the day-to-day realities of implementing the practice commercially. What makes these projects succeed? What causes brewers to abandon them after a single batch? And can brewing with food waste move beyond niche experimentation?
These questions formed the basis of research conducted as part of a Master’s thesis in the program of Circular Economy at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, examining how seven European craft breweries use food waste in beer production and what factors help or hinder this practice. What makes the practice circular is the reuse and transformation of surplus food materials to usable/higher value products (beer), thereby reducing waste while substituting raw material (most commonly barley).
The research findings suggest that breweries success mostly depends on factors such as partnerships, logistics, organisational culture and long-term commitment.
Brewing’s forgotten relationship with food waste
Beer and food have historically been intertwined. Bread, grains and fermented foods have been connected to brewing traditions for centuries — hence the long-standing description of beer as “liquid bread”.
Modern industrial brewing gradually standardised production around malted barley during the twentieth century, particularly after large-scale mechanisation and consolidation of the industry. As brewing became increasingly optimised and standardised, many alternative grain and food inputs disappeared from mainstream production.
Over the last few decades, however, food waste has returned as a brewing input as part of wider sustainability and diversification efforts. Today, surplus bread is the most common replacement ingredient, though breweries are also experimenting with different bakery waste, naan bread, pasta, rice, oats, potatoes, fruits, cookies and even leftover fries.
Depending on the material and brewing method, food waste is used to replace around 25% of malt in the mash, while some experimental projects report replacing up to 60% of fresh barley (McDonagh et al., 2024; Martin-Lobera et al., 2025).
One important advantage of this practice is that breweries do not need new major equipment to begin. Existing systems can accommodate the practice with recipe adjustments and additional preparation steps. The challenge lies in sourcing consistent materials, preparing them correctly, developing a distinctive recipe, managing storage and logistics, and building reliable supplier relationships.
Seven breweries, two different approaches
The research combined interviews and case studies of seven European breweries – the most prominent European practitioners of this approach at the time of the study in 2024 (Figure 1).
As part of the research, a broader review of the European beer industry revealed no long-term standalone beers from “big breweries” made with food waste. The only identified cases were limited-run experimentations and collaborations (e.g., Heineken with Toast Ale). So one of the most important initial data points was the exclusive growth of this practice in the realm of the craft beer industry.
The figure below showcases the explored breweries and their brewing approach (whether they have their own facility, or work in cooperation or rent (cuckoo brewing)), type of food waste used, what percentage of mash they replace with food waste and how they quantify it.
The sample revealed two distinct business models:
- One group treated food waste beers as part of a broader brewery portfolio. Breweries such as Brussels Beer Project, UnBarred Brewery and Jaw Brew continued producing a wide range of conventional beers alongside beer with food waste element.
- The other group built their identity almost entirely around food waste recovery.
Companies such as Toast Ale, Knärzje, Biova Project and Crumbs Brewing positioned utilising surplus food as the core of their business model and brand identity, often relying on contract or cuckoo brewing arrangements.
Regarding materials, bread and bakery waste dominated most operations because they integrate relatively easily into brewing recipes and are widely available. However, regional differences shaped ingredient choices. In Italy, for example, surplus pasta appeared as a brewing input. Furthermore, proximity to suppliers proved critical – food waste spoils quickly, so economical and logistical viability strongly depends on local sourcing.
What actually helps — and what gets in the way?
One of the most important findings from the research is the complex connection off all explored business value factors, which were divided into external (users’ behaviour, regulations, economy and market competition and supply chain and logistics) and internal factors (finance, knowledge, organisation and management and product and materials characteristics).
As seen in the graphic representation of these categories, each factor can act as a barrier and as an enabler. Their effect on the business depends on the context, scale and the brewery’s organisational approach.
The strongest barrier identified across all interviews was the wider economic and competitive pressure facing craft breweries. Interviewees consistently described a consolidated market dominated by large brewing companies, alongside rising costs, inflation and market saturation, as major pressures that don’t leave room for experimentation. Developing recipes with surplus food takes time, labour and operational flexibility — resources many breweries currently struggle to spare.
At the same time, the research identified three particularly strong enablers: the collaborative culture of the craft beer industry, strong partnerships, and organisational commitment.
Most other factors — including logistics, finance, regulation, knowledge and consumer behaviour — showed a more balanced influence (Figure 2). Depending on the brewery and local context, they could either support or hinder implementation.
The advantage of craft brewing culture
Europe, especially the western side, has a quite well-developed craft beer sector, which provides fertile ground for exploring alternative and sustainable brewing practices, as craft breweries are often recognised as key drivers of innovation within the beer industry.
Furthermore, two principles common in craft breweries – sustainability and locality – align with the practice of utilising food waste in beer production. Craft breweries often emphasise local identity, authenticity, and community relationships, which helps build strong partnerships with nearby businesses.
Additionally, innovative sustainable practices combined with a local identity set them apart from big brands, a distinction that can help justify the higher prices of craft beers compared to mass-produced beers.
Moreover, the collaborative and open-minded approach of craft brewers encourages knowledge-sharing and experimentation. Recipes, brewing techniques and operational experiences are often exchanged informally between breweries, reducing the learning curve for newcomers. That openness creates space for innovation that would be harder to implement in highly standardised large-scale production systems.
Good partnerships and a sustainability mindset are the basis of the practice
The research also showed that successful food waste utilisation depends heavily on relationships outside the brewery. Strong partnerships with bakeries, cafés and food producers helped breweries secure stable supply streams while also simplifying logistics and waste collection.
The best examples moved beyond purely transactional relationships. German brewery Knärzje described partnerships that expanded into investment, mentoring and collaborative sustainability promotion.
In these cases, suppliers (bakeries, supermarkets, shops, etc.) benefited as well. Surplus food became a resource rather than a disposal problem, while they strengthened their own sustainability credentials and added a point in marketing.
For contract or cuckoo breweries, partnerships became even more critical because production itself depended on maintaining flexible external networks.
At the same time, interviewees noted that scaling up often became difficult when new partners did not share the same environmental values or long-term commitment.
This points to one of the most important factors for implementation– especially within internal management– as breweries that successfully integrated food waste into production tended to share several characteristics: openness to experimentation, strong environmental values and willingness to invest time into developing new systems. If breweries found partners who shared a similar approach, the outcomes were consistently more successful.
This was especially important because many operational challenges — such as ingredient preparation, storage or logistics — were technically manageable, but required persistence and adaptation. The most successful projects treated food waste utilisation as part of a broader sustainability identity and business philosophy, combining a passion for brewing with a passion for saving food or doing good.
As noted by Knärzje brewery, their goal was to create: “a beer that has a benefit for society.”
Why most factors sit somewhere in the middle
Interestingly, categories commonly assumed to be major barriers in adapting new practices — including logistics, finance, regulation, knowledge and consumer behavior — showed relatively balanced influence overall.
Their impact depended largely on local conditions and the brewery’s strategy.
For example, logistics could become highly challenging when sourcing inconsistent materials across large distances. Yet breweries with nearby bakery partners often described logistics as relatively simple.
As explained by the UnBarred Brewery:
“practicality and the logistics of using by-products from another business is more the barrier rather than anything else… if it’s local it’s easy.”
Other breweries even improved logistics through deeper cooperation with suppliers. Crumbs Brewing encouraged bakery partners delivering fresh bread to simultaneously collect unsold products from retailers, improving efficiency for both sides.
Furthermore, implementation of the practice didn’t cause big disruption in finances. Breweries more or less balanced the savings gained by free or low-cost surplus ingredients with the need for additional labour or processing costs such as freezing, drying or shredding bread. For most breweries, the practice did not dramatically increase profitability — but neither did it create major financial risk. Instead, brewers described the benefits more in terms of resilience, diversification and long-term brand value.
Consumer responses were generally positive as well (disclaimer – this observation was based on brewers’ experiences rather than direct consumer surveys). Brewers reported that beers made with food waste attracted curiosity and helped products stand out in crowded craft markets. However, it is recognised that craft beer drinkers are already more open to experimentation than “mainstream consumers”.
Interviewees further agreed that, in terms of consumer loyalty and commercial success, beer quality remains the decisive factor — sustainability and new ingredient presents just a good initial catch.
Regulations varied significantly between countries. In Italy, the Biova project noted that surplus food intended for commercial reuse must be purchased rather than donated, affecting their finances. In Germany, Knärzje brewery faced additional bureaucracy linked to purity regulations when brewing with bread or alternative ingredients. Several interviewees argued that existing legislation often slows innovation rather than encouraging new practices. At the same time, some also pointed to the absence of stronger sustainability regulation as a missed opportunity, citing the example of French laws on food waste and the ban on supermarkets destroying food waste, which could lead to new partnerships.
A niche practice — for now
Despite growing visibility, food waste brewing still operates at a relatively small scale.
The problem of food waste is extensive, with approximately one-third of all food produced globally wasted (UNEP, 2024). Bread is among the most discarded items by mass, highlighting a clear opportunity for a new sustainable raw material in brewing.
It is important to mention that the true problem lies in the food system itself, and food waste prevention remains far more important than food waste recovery. Currently, even though some prominent initiatives use tons of bread a year, it is miniscule compared to the overall scale of food waste generation. Nevertheless, brewing can still play a valuable role by creating viable reuse pathways, especially if scaled up across the industry.
The practice may also become increasingly attractive as barley – the fourth most important cereal globally and a key animal feed – is subject to price fluctuations, supply chain uncertainty, and import instability.
Lessons for brewers considering the practice
For breweries interested in experimenting with food waste, the research suggests several practical lessons:
- Identify local food waste streams that can realistically be integrated into your brewing operations – keep an open eye on local food sources
- Build partnerships on shared values and long-term alignment
- Expect recipe development to take time and make use of existing knowledge and resources – particularly those available online – on the preparation and processing of food waste for brewing
- Learn from existing practitioners, follow the new sustainable/circular practices
- Use the food waste component as a promotional element to increase consumer interest, framing it within a broader sustainability narrative
- Approach the practice as a broader shift within the value chain, considering all operational factors and the wider brewery identity rather than treating it as a one-off experiment
The overall picture emerging from the research is that brewing with food waste, besides being a brewing re- innovation, is more of an organisational and cultural shift.
The breweries that succeeded were not necessarily those with the most advanced equipment, the largest production capacity or an already developed recipe. It was exactly opposite, they were the ones passionate about the cause, able to build strong partnerships, maintain long-term commitment and embed circular thinking into everyday operations.
In that sense, the practice reflects many of the defining characteristics of craft brewing itself: experimentation, collaboration, local relationships and adaptability.
And while food waste brewing remains niche today, those same qualities may help it expand as economic pressures, resource instability and sustainability demands continue reshaping the brewing industry.
Author: Milica Končar Text is based on the research article “Food Waste Utilisation in Beer Production: Enablers and Barriers within the European Craft Beer Industry” published in the Journal of Circular Economy, publicly available on the link here
DOI: 10.55845/joce-2025-33215
