Building The UK’s Leading ‘Anti Food Waste’ Brand with Jenny Costa

In today’s episode of the 40 Minute Mentor, I’m joined by founder and CEO of Rubies in the Rubble, Jenny Costa.

Having started her career in finance, Jenny soon realised there was a bigger cause she felt passionate about.

After reading that one third of all food produced globally is wasted, she knew she had to see it with her own eyes. So, one morning she decided to visit the New Covent Garden wholesale fruit and veg market. Her visit ended with her cycling back with baskets full of perfectly good and yet unsold produce. Produce that would have otherwise gone to landfill.

That’s how Rubies in the Rubble, the UK’s leading ‘anti food waste’ brand, was founded. In 2011 Jenny started making and selling chutneys, made of produce saved from the rubbish heap. Having started with a single stall on Borough Market, Rubies in the Rubble now stocks their delicious jams, relishes, chutneys, ketchups and other condiments at major retailers, such as Waitrose, Ocado, Whole Foods and a large number of independent stores.

In my conversation with Jenny, we cover some really interesting topics including:

• How Jenny took the leap from a lucrative career in investment management to selling home-made chutneys on Borough Market.

• Jenny’s key learnings as she’s taken Rubies from a single market stall to a rapidly growing business with products on the shelves of supermarkets up and down the country.

• And Jenny’s advice to fellow entrepreneurs on growing a team, building a successful culture and her approach to work life balance.

I loved chatting to Jenny about Rubies in the Rubble and hearing how her team are disrupting the food industry with their amazing products.

It was fascinating to hear her advice on how we can all help do our part to tackling the problem of food waste and how her team are setting the tone for it. It has certainly changed my view on the importance I place on the appearance of the fresh produce I buy, and hopefully my conversation with Jenny will inspire you to follow in her footsteps and reduce your own food waste too.

If you want to find out more about Jenny you can check out her LinkedIn profile here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-costa-685b474a/

If you want to find out more about Rubies in the Rubble you can check out their website following - https://rubiesintherubble.com/

We’re always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts once you’ve listened to this interview just drop me an email at james@jbmc.co.uk

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