Beyond Belief Brewing Co turns surplus carbohydrates into beer

Winner: Beyond Belief Brewing Co - Free Thinking Drinking 

Beer brewed with surplus food may be a tried-and-tested concept, but rarely is it executed with the scale and innovation of the Beyond Belief Brewing Co. 

The Hertfordshire-based beer company has created a patented process that extracts fermentable sugars from any pre-processed carbohydrates. Those sugars are then used to replace 50% of the base malt of each beer produced.

That really does mean any carbohydrates: the process has already worked using leftover doughnuts, cookies, pasta and flapjacks. Pasta IPA and Flapjack Stout are among the variants to have made it into the brand’s current lineup.

Confidence in the concept led to a government smart grant, which enabled the brand to build and open its own brewery. The business is also working consistently with one of the UK’s largest pasta producers to reduce its 60-ton-per-month waste to “a fraction” of that amount.

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The benefits don’t stop there. Using 50% less malted barley helps achieve a 400ml saving of water per 330ml can, says the brand. Plus, the spent grain goes to animal feed to create a circular production loop.

Our judges praised the breadth of the opportunity the brand has created.

Not only has it taken surplus beer to brand-new heights, but it has shared its knowledge through collaboration with breweries in Ghana and Europe.

As one judge said: “It just gets better and better.”

Shortlisted:

• Beyond Belief Brewing Co - Free Thinking Drinking
• Daily Dose - Reducing waste along the supply chain
• FareShare - Flex Programme
• Morrisons - The Great Root Reroute
• Retail Insight with East of England Co-op - AI to save 1.8million meals from landfill
• Waitrose - Food donation as part of the Coronation Food Project