Exhibition of exclusive prints opens in Southwark restaurant to raise awareness about food waste

By Connor McLaughlin

A restaurant in Southwark is hosting a pop-up exhibition to raise awareness about food waste and its impact on the environment.

OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie is using its space to showcase 14 exclusive prints by some of Europe’s most talented artists.

The exhibition, launched by surplus food app Too Good To Go, was designed to raise awareness of food waste and how it’s impacting our environment.

The prints are available for purchase with 100 per cent of the profits being donated to the UN World Food Programme.

Jamie Crummie, Too Good To Go co-founder, said: “This project is about harnessing the power of art to inspire everyone to make that extra effort at home to reduce food waste and we’re so thrilled to be able to exhibit these prints in collaboration with OXO so that even more people can enjoy and reflect on the series.

“The artists we’re working with are all incredibly talented and have used their creative skills to spread an amazing message: that together, by saving food every day, we can keep making a real difference to the future of our planet.”

Globally, food waste causes more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation industry, and majority of this food waste originates at home around 70 percent in the UK alone.

The 14 illustrations are designed to artistically highlight the connection between food waste and the environment in a bid to inspire the food waste fight at home.

The European artists include Danish creative duo, Supermercat, SEEYOUSIOE from Amsterdam and rising French illustrator Lorraine Sorlet.

Other artists involved in the collaboration are AKACORLENE and Guttestreker, a duo made up of Petter Malterud Grondahl and Christoffer Kroge Christensen.

Rising Liverpool-based illustrator, Rosa Kusabbi, known for her art activism and campaigns for social and climate justice, has also produced her own exclusive print for this project.

OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie have been monitoring their food waste since 2019 and have worked with Too Good to Go to reduce their impact.

Executive Chef Jeremy Bloor at OXO commented: “During the lockdown we really saw the extent of food surplus outside the restaurant.

“When we started cooking meals in our community kitchen with donated food from the London Food Alliance we got tons of surplus so we want to engage our guests in this journey to fix the problem and these images could provide a great talking point.”

The exhibition is currently running until the end of August with all 14 prints available to view at OXO Tower on the 8th Floor and purchase for £11 each.

For more information or to order a print go to www.toogoodtogo.co.uk/posters.

Pictured top: Rosa Kusabbi (credit: Too Good to Go)