In a Romania where 6,000 tons of food are thrown away daily, with probably a third by the HoReCa sector, a bistro in central Bucharest has found solutions to avoid waste.
Rule No.1: Everything that remains is utilized.
The things we have left, regardless of quantity, must be saved. And I believe we have a moral duty to save them.
We can't throw things away like crazy and then complain that things are going badly for us. If we waste a little every day, things will go very badly for all of us in the long run. (Marius Tudosiei, founder of Băcănia Veche)
Marius Tudosiei entered the food industry in 2010, initially with a grocery store. And in 2021 he also opened a restaurant with 70 seats. There, the menu is adapted daily, depending on the available ingredients.
Losses are also avoided in the logistics chain. Because the supply is mostly sourced from local producers.
On one hand, it's a joy for you to cook with something local. But there's also another aspect: there's a very good chance you'll be the only one in town cooking with that ingredient and also the first in a season. I find it a very interesting achievement, and secondly, you offer your customers the chance to encounter extremely rare products, those with the best taste.
The short supply chain also means seasonal menus. Cooking is done with what's available in the market during that season.
Why don't we cook with asparagus in December? Because it might come from Peru. How long does asparagus from Peru take to get here? Quite a while.
Leaving aside the carbon footprint. A lot of things are consumed before it gets here. It's handled 17 times. It goes through logistics platforms. It's distributed, divided. It reaches the store. I don't think that's what we want to eat.
And ultimately, you should know that our work as people in HoReCa also has this component, which we will have to assume. Of education and contextualizing the ingredients we work with.
Because otherwise, the depersonalization we are experiencing now in people's relationship with food will intensify until nothing we do matters anymore.
Starting in 2026, every restaurant in Romania is required to submit an annual plan to the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce food waste within the unit.
However, Marius goes further and tries to reduce supplier losses as well. He takes over the producers' goods when they have a surplus and have nowhere to sell it, without being legally obliged. Why?
When a supplier gives you a lot of crates of something, they'll also offer you a better price. It becomes much more profitable.
But beyond that, we have to play our role correctly in this ecosystem. Without producers, we wouldn't exist. Without customers, we wouldn't exist. If we think of this triangle as a beautiful playground to develop and grow and take care of each other, we have every chance to withstand and get through pandemics and economic crises.
Over 400,000 companies in Romania are targeted by the new food waste law. Producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and any HoReCa unit must take at least two measures to reduce waste. Otherwise, they risk fines between 10,000-40,000 lei.
Watch a new video episode from the project Second Life. Models of Circular Economy, created by Sustainable Solutions Association, with support from Stratos.
You can see the other 16 episodes here.
