Chef TJ Conwi
VFR: TJ, tell us about yourself and your path in the Vancouver food industry.
TJ: I’m TJ Conwi, and my journey in the culinary industry has been as fulfilling as it has been transformative. Growing up, the kitchen was my playground, where I could experiment with flavours and create joy through food. This passion led me to pursue formal training and eventually work in some top-notch establishments around Vancouver.
During my 23 years in the industry, I’ve mainly worked in hotels; but, when I moved on from being the Executive Chef at the Delta Vancouver Suites by Marriott, I decided to open a food consulting company in 2018 called Ono Vancouver. Ono Vancouver provides catering services, helps food businesses succeed in opening restaurants, and, most importantly, impacts the community in a positive way through food.
VFR: You launched a community meal program that uses surplus ingredients during COVID. How did this project come about?
TJ: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it brought unprecedented challenges to our communities, particularly in terms of food security. Restaurants were closing, supply chains were disrupted, and many people found themselves struggling to put food on the table. It was during this time that I realized we needed to act – both to support those in need and to address the escalating issue of food waste.
At the beginning of COVID, a group of chefs and I were texting each other, trying to figure out what to do with ourselves and what to do with the stocks in our fridges and freezers that were about to go to waste because of the shutdown. From there, we decided to empty each other's fridges and freezers and just started cooking – mainly for the people that were working in the food industry, as many were struggling due to job losses or reduced hours.
At that point, I decided to call Yen Bros. Food Service and asked them if they had any food to donate. Indeed, they did. That’s when we realized there was a lot more we could do to divert surplus food and cook it for our community. So, I started talking to various charitable organizations to see what their needs were. Around the same time, I was also on a Zoom meeting for the Vancouver School Food COVID Task Force; and Tristan Jagger, VFR’s founder, was on that call, and that’s when I first connected with Vancouver Food Runners.
It started with collaborating to get surplus food from businesses to charities, but since then, it has turned into a full community meal program.
VFR is also critical to this project, as VFR volunteers bring surplus ingredients to Coho Commissary. Our team then cooks up hundreds of meals each week using surplus ingredients, and VFR volunteers collect and deliver the meals to several different charities in Vancouver to support their community food programming.
Our program is built on a simple yet powerful concept: using surplus ingredients that would otherwise go to waste to create balanced, delicious meals. This process involves a lot of creativity and flexibility, as we often have to develop recipes based on the ingredients available each week.
For instance, if we receive a large donation of tomatoes and carrots, we might make a hearty curry. This approach not only prevents food from going to waste, but also ensures that people in our community receive healthy, balanced meals. We’ve been doing this for four years now, and it’s pretty amazing that we’ve provided over 130,000 community meals in partnership with VFR!
VFR: What are your thoughts on reducing food waste in the industry? Why is this important?
TJ: The bottom line is reducing food waste is crucial – not just to help mitigate food insecurity, but also for protecting our environment. The amount of food wasted globally is staggering — and in Canada, 58% of the food we produce is wasted or lost each year (and 32% of that food is edible!).
Not only are we wasting valuable food that could support communities, but it’s also going to the landfill, where it produces a significant amount of greenhouse gases (56.5 million tonnes of CO2eq annually in our country). By doing our small part and repurposing this surplus food, we’re making a dent in the problem.
In the culinary industry, awareness around food waste is growing. It’s coming along. Chefs and restaurateurs are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability and incorporating practices to reduce food waste. However, there is still much work to be done. For me, I try to make food recovery and using surplus food “attractive.” It’s important to make it appealing — something that you want to be doing.
Sometimes I hear the idea that food recovery and working with surplus food is nerdy and under the radar; but I think there is a growing understanding of what it is. I also think there is more awareness because of the work done by Vancouver Food Runners, Food Stash, FoodMesh, and the Vancouver Food Justice Coalition.
In addition, we’re starting to develop chefs with unique skills: they can take a variety of surplus ingredients and turn them into beautiful meals. There is real skill and creativity in this. Now it’s a matter of taking these skills and ideas and making them more mainstream — in restaurants, hotels, catering companies, and even in households! This is a mentality that everyone can adopt. It’s not a new mentality; this is how many cultures and cooking traditions have operated for thousands of years. We need to get back to this — to valuing our food more.
With our community meal program, we have a whole system and a process. When we receive surplus food, we think through whether to freeze it for later or cook it right away. Once we’re cooking in the kitchen, we implement a brigade system that involves a lot of decision making. We also use the Escoffier approach, where you have “mother sauces” such as a cream sauce, a tomato sauce, and various chili sauces, like a stir-fry sauce or curry. From there, we can switch it up and create other things around it. It’s a systematized approach. It’s like, “Okay, today we’re making curry because we have a bunch of vegetables that could be added to it.” This is the process we teach to our chefs.
VFR: What are your thoughts on regulation with respect to food waste?
TJ: I firmly believe that regulation is a key piece of the puzzle. Right now, only 4% of surplus edible food is rescued and redistributed – this is a huge wasted opportunity!
There needs to be some sort of legislation that prevents perfectly good food from being thrown away. Much like composting regulations, which have standardized practices and made it more straightforward for businesses to comply, food waste regulations could help create a level playing field. Currently, those who strive to do the right thing and donate sometimes incur costs because of this (e.g., staff time for sorting food and packaging the food). If everyone were required to follow the same rules, it would not only reduce waste but also foster innovation and support new business models focused on sustainability.
The idea of regulating food waste is not just about mandating changes; it’s about creating a culture where sustainability is the norm rather than the exception.
By implementing regulations, we can encourage more businesses to take proactive steps in reducing their waste. This could include incentives for businesses that donate surplus food and even tax breaks for those that implement sustainable practices.
Regulations could also standardize food donation processes, making it easier for businesses to contribute to programs like ours. Clear guidelines, food waste prevention education, and support from the government could alleviate concerns and make food donation a more seamless and widespread practice.
But it’s important to:
1) Move forward thoughtfully with changes (don’t go too fast!)
2) Involve those in food industry to be a part of the process
3) Ensure that the right infrastructure and programs are in place for policies to be successful; and
4) Consider different regulations for different businesses—for example, a small café is very different from a large food manufacturer—and ensure that policies account for such differences
VFR: How can people get involved with supporting the community meal program?
TJ: There are several different ways to support food recovery in Vancouver and our community meal program, specifically:
1. Donate Food: If you’re a grocer, food distributor, urban farmer — really anyone in the food industry — consider donating your surplus food. Every bit helps, and we can turn almost any ingredient into a nutritious meal.
Contact Adelyn at Vancouver Food Runners about becoming a food donation partner: adelyn@vancouverfoodrunners.com
2. Financial Contributions: Monetary donations help us cover the operational costs for the community meal program. You can donate HERE. Thank you!
3. Shop ReRoot Kitchen: These are our delicious pre-made meals created with surplus ingredients. Purchasing ReRoot meals directly funds the community meal program, and you can purchase ReRoot meals HERE.
4. Spread the Word: Raise awareness about reducing food waste, advancing the circular economy, and our community meal program by sharing our mission with your network. The more people know about these issues and our work, the greater the impact we can have.
To learn more, you can also check out a Telus Originals documentary, The Interceptors, on the community meal program HERE!
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