Fresh Prep
VFR: Husein, tell us about yourself and Fresh Prep. What is the story behind your successful meal kit company?
Husein Rahemtulla: I started Fresh Prep with two friends in 2015. Our mission was to find a delicious and sustainable answer to the “what’s for dinner?” question.
For the first two years, we were a very small business - just 5 people - and we wore all the hats, including making and delivering meal kits.
Fast forward to 2022 and we employ over 400 people across two provinces. Despite our significant growth, we’ve made sure to never lose sight of our values and always endeavour to be a business that has a positive social impact.
VFR: What has been the most interesting aspect of this "food journey" for you? And what has surprised you?
HR: I’d say the most interesting aspect of the journey is confirming how social and environmental responsibility can strengthen business. I used to play poker professionally which is a zero sum game, meaning that for you to win, someone else has to lose. The beauty of business is that it doesn’t have to be zero sum: you can create positive outcomes for all your stakeholders if you’re innovative enough.
The most surprising for me is that I’ve actually become pretty proficient in the kitchen!
VFR: You have a Fresh Prep Zero Waste Food Kit! Tell us about this sustainable solution.
HR: As people who love improving things and despise waste, we knew we wanted to create a sustainable meal kit service that made business sense without costing the customer more.
Over three years ago, we hired a team of engineers to design a Zero Waste meal kit, a reusable container made with BPA-free plastic. We send ingredients to our customers in the kit and they send it back to us in their cooler bags for us to sanitize and reuse!
We see the Zero Waste Kits as a win-win solution, being both more convenient and more sustainable than other meal kits, and a big step forward in meal kit packaging.
VFR: In the food industry, are you seeing more discussions happening around reducing food waste in the kitchen and ensuring surplus food gets redirected? Please share some of the changes that are happening in this area.
HR: We’re happy to be witnessing a rising awareness of the need to address food loss. We hear a lot of partners we work with asking about donation options and it seems that donating surplus food is becoming far more common. It really helps when there are organizations like VFR that make it simple to do!
We see the meal kit industry as already one step ahead, as pre-measured ingredients limit food waste and lower our carbon footprint.
Minimizing the amount of food we throw out helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saves on costs to manage food waste, and helps people in need.
VFR: Every Sunday, Fresh Prep's surplus food goes to Powell Street Getaway and Chef TJ Conwi, and it's turned into hundreds of meals for clients experiencing food insecurity each week. This is incredible, but what does it mean to you on a personal level?
HR: Local communities are important to Fresh Prep — and myself. We are from British Columbia, I grew up here, and we have customers and work with organizations across the province. Chef TJ is doing incredible work. I'm thankful we’re able to help and found such a great partnership with Vancouver Food Runners.
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