Our Social Responsibility
Ever wondered what we do with the extras at Aston Lucas? Before you panic that your favourite gourmet pasta is ending up in landfill, fret not! Our commitment to sustainability and our general distaste for food waste means we’re dedicated to ensuring that every lovingly-crafted piece of pasta ends up on someone’s plate.
An unavoidable hard truth about the food industry is that there will be some leftover product. At Aston Lucas, we don’t see this as a loss, but rather as an exciting opportunity for more people to taste our delicious premade meals. We are involved in a range of initiatives to help combat food waste and broaden the reach of our gourmet meals within the community.
Too Good To Go:
Too Good To Go is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to combat food waste globally. They partner with businesses to sell unsold food at a lower price point. Through their app and their ‘surprise bag’ initiative, consumers can pick up perfectly good products that otherwise would have been thrown out, at approximately half of the retail price. Not only does this stop our delicious dishes from going to waste, but it means that customers can try our ready-made meals at a fraction of the cost. The environmental benefits that Too Good To Go produces speaks for itself, but it doesn’t end here. By providing consumers with a product at half the cost, people in financial hardship (or even those looking to save a dollar or two) are given an equal opportunity to access our products. We love that by partnering with Too Good To Go, we’re able to lend a hand to our communities and play even a minor part in increasing social inclusion.
Donations:
At Aston Lucas, our mission is to bring the authentic taste of Italy to the tables of our local Aussie families. So much about our cooking is about love, and crafting the traditional recipes passed down through generations to feed our communities. As a company that prides ourselves on food that has heart, we know that giving back wherever possible plays a part in improving the community that we are so proud to operate in.
As part of this, we regularly donate to our local Vinnies Inner City Soup Van. Food that is unsold but still good to eat is dropped here and people who are doing it tough can go and pick up a delicious Italian meal. We are proud to offer our gourmet ready-made meals as a small comfort to those in our community who may otherwise miss out.
Ingredients:
Our commitment to the planet and our community starts at the beginning. We source the majority of our ingredients from within Australia, from local farmers and suppliers. By keeping it local, we reduce the miles the produce has to travel to arrive at our kitchen. This keeps emissions low, quality of the produce high, and reduces food waste, all while ensuring that we support growers in our community.
Packaging:
Not only is our packaging oven and microwave safe, but it is made of 80% recyclable materials. In house, we use landfill-biodegradable cling film and non-toxic alternatives to chemical-grade cleaning products. As well as this, we are committed to effectively composting any unavoidable food waste and recycling in-house packaging.
The bottom line is that we love bringing delicious food to your plate, and we can’t continue to do that long term if we don’t prioritise the health of our planet.