FROM BEER TO BREAD - CASTLE LAGER LAUNCHES A NEW INITIATIVE

From beer to bread, that was the motto as Castle Lager launched an initiative that will see by-products of its beer brewing process be used to produce a bread that is high in fibre, sustainable and a source of protein.

Dubbed the “Bread-of-the-Nation”, this initiative is the brand’s Better World Programme which will see the brand supply tons of the brand’s by-product from its locally grown grains used to brew Castle Lager beer, repurposed for the production of approximately 30 000 loaves in the next 3 years for South African communities.

This cutting-edge programme showcases how innovation can be used to bring hope and espouse our unique South African beliefs, such as Ubuntu as the brand firmly believes that when we focus on the good, the good gets even better.

This campaign is also in line with the brand’s zero-waste and sustainability initiatives which are underpinned by an ongoing quest to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the impact of the brand’s operations on the environment.

Castle says this is “a story of zero waste for the greater good” because until now, the excess grain by-product left over after the brewing process was previously sold to cattle farmers.

The brand is excited that through this initiative, that by-product will now be repurposed for a greater good.

Castle brand director Wendy Bedforth said they have spent grain which is very valuable in terms of being high in fibre, a source of protein and energy.

“So we wanted to turn that into something that could be used for the good in our communities. We investigated a number of sources, bread being probably the biggest impact because it is a staple within South Africa,” Bedforth said.

“In our brewing process we would discard off the spent grain which is essentially the barley and hops before it goes to the next mash tun. And what happens is we then take that spent grain to out partner called Uber Nutrition who is milling it into flour for us

“That flour is then going to a bakery called Health Food and they are baking these 30 000 loaves for us, which will then be distributed through our partner SA Haverst.”

To optimise the distribution of this bread mix, Castle Lager has teamed up with a non-governmental food-rescue organisation, SA Harvest, which will utilise its footprint and partnerships to distribute the bread.

SA Harvest will undertake the distribution of the loaves through its 200 community-based partner organisations for three years, following which the partners will evaluate the viability of sustaining the campaign further.

BUSINESS REPORT

2023-03-11T12:01:49Z dg43tfdfdgfd