The shape of snacks to come
Güsto makes air-dried snacks using produce that is typically rejected by retailers for not being the right shape, size or colour, ending up in landfill.
Roughly a third of the food produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted and wonky fruit and veg, discarded for simply not looking attractive enough, is a big part of the problem. The issue has been compounded by recent heatwaves and drought conditions across the UK and Europe, resulting in irregularly-shaped crops.
Güsto utilises this so-called ‘wonky’ surplus and air dries it into a fruit crisp. The company was started in December 2020 by Barking & Dagenham College alumni Giuseppe Baidoo and fellow student Claudio Owusu. During his final year of college, Baidoo was encouraged to enter a sustainable businesses competition and Güsto was borne.
“I wanted to mimic the exciting flavour combinations of crisps, making a crunchy, tasty and healthy snack,” said Baidoo.
“Ours is the only one to use unique flavour combinations by adding other ingredients such as chocolate & salted caramel to the fruit crisps.”
Being air-dried, the crisps are low in calorie (less than 80 kcals per 100g).
This summer, Güsto rolled out two new flavours, and extended its distribution in stocklists like Selfridges, Budgens and Costcutter. It even made an appearance at London Fashion Week in September.
Add its waste-free backstory, and its little wonder Güsto Snacks’ sales have more than quadrupled this year.
The company is now in a growth phase with investment capital being raised to ramp up production.
