Rubies in the Rubble
Finding something to relish in food waste
- Location Scotland
- Working on Reusing unwanted fruit and veg, and preventing CO2E from being released into the atmosphere.
Jenny Costa is a superhero for unwanted fruit and veg, swooping in to rescue produce that would otherwise be thrown away. Her company, Rubies in the Rubble, makes preserves and condiments from fresh food that might otherwise be thrown away.
The result is a range of condiments, relishes, chutneys and vegan-friendly mayo (made with aquafaba, aka chickpea water) that changes with the seasons.
Rubies in the Rubble currently employs nine people and in 2020 became a Certified B Corporation, meaning they meet the highest standards of social and environmental impact.
Why they are different:
They’ve won several Great Taste awards: the Rubies in the Rubble range is as delicious as it is thoughtful. “We’re still using premium fruit and veg,” says Jenny. “There’s nothing wrong with it in terms of taste, in fact it’s exceptionally lovely. I started with recipes I’d learned from my mum and my grandmother, but as we’ve expanded I’ve worked with commercial chefs to come up with new ideas and to make sure we can deliver a homemade taste on a much bigger scale.”
Why they are kind:
Jenny set up Rubies in the Rubble in 2012 and since then the company has saved over 350,000 kilos of fruit and veg - the equivalent of three-and-a-half blue whales or 200 cars. This means they’ve also prevented nearly 300,000 kilos of CO2E from being needlessly released into the atmosphere.
