Milling a circular economy: This woman makes flour, cookies, and more from spent grain from breweries
Elizabeth Yorke, the founder of Saving Grains, discovered the potential of spent grain—a by-product of the brewing process—in 2016 while interning with food historian William Rubel. Learning that spent grain can be upcycled into flour led Yorke to explore how the 70+ breweries in her Indian hometown, Bengaluru, handle this by-product. She explains that “There is a lot one can do by upcycling spent grain, and that is what we are exploring at Saving Grains.” Saving Grains upcycles beer waste from local breweries into flour, which is then used to make products like crackers, cookies, rotis and ladoos. With a focus on creating a circular food economy, Yorke collaborates with community centers like Kutumba Community Centre, where the grain is processed into flour for local use. Despite challenges, Saving Grains has partnered with four breweries and bakeries and is exploring new upcycling ideas, such as using coffee grounds. Through initiatives like the Serial Upcyclers Club, Yorke aims to raise awareness about reducing food waste at a community level and encouraging people to get creative about food sustainability through the upcycling of by-products.
