The CSCP’s REFRESH Project Takes Penny Trainees on an Exploration of the Taste of Sustainability and Deceleration @scp_centre This summer, we met trainees of the German grocery store chain Penny from several different regions of Germany with the best ideas to avoid food waste – and took them on an excursion. As part of the CSCP’s EU-funded project REFRESH, which aims to understand the reasons for and fight against food waste, 900 trainees of the discounter chain Penny were called to hand in their best ideas on how to avoid food waste in households after they had taken part in a training. Among all the creative and innovative ideas, the best eleven were chosen and their engaged authors were invited to get to know one of Cologne’s hippest districts, Ehrenfeld, from a perspective that even many locals have not yet explored. In seven different locations, the trainees had the oportunity to experience sustainable food trends with all their senses. The trainees and representatives from Penny’s CSR department went from one homemade sustainable snack to the next throughout the day. They sampled the unique aroma of fair coffee roasted slowly and gently and “slowly baked” pastry. They were guided along the food value chain, recognising young squash and tomato plants in a paradisiac urban garden on the roof of Cologne’s Cathedral beekeeping (‘Domimkerei’). They bottled their own jar of honey after learning about the diligent urban insects. The trainees were inspired by the possibility of producing honey in the center of a city. What if the Penny CSR division maintained their own urban beehives on the roof of the Penny headquarters? After visiting various processing enterprises and getting to know a shop that sells food waste (salvaged food that is still good, but past the due date) and many other fascinating experiences, participants were very impressed: “I liked the ‘Veedelskrämer’ most. I never thought there would be a shop with such a wide variety of unpackaged foods – and so many alternatives to traditional products like solid shampoo or toothpaste tablets”. While it was difficult to leave the small unpackaged supermarket with all its interesting and great smelling products, no one wanted to be too late for the impro-cooking class. At ‘Alte Lederei Köln’ everybody helped to create a delicious vegetarian dinner under the guidance of an experienced chef who explained how to even make use of vegetable peels. The three-course meal at the end of the gourmet tour full of new inspirations and fresh ideas was well-deserved and much-appreciated. For further questions about this exploration of the taste of sustainability or similar opportunities, please contact Jana Brauer. Photos by © Jörg Sänger