Tackling food waste at the source with The Wonki Collective

Food waste is a global crisis hiding in plain sight. While much of the conversation focuses on supermarkets and household waste, the real issue begins long before food reaches our shelves. In fact, a staggering seven times more food is wasted at the manufacturing level than at retail. This inefficiency results in 3.8 million tonnes of food waste each year in the UK alone, enough to fill the Royal Albert Hall 80 times over. Enter The Wonki Collective, a trailblazing startup determined to rewrite the script on food waste.

Co-founded by Dini McGrath, the company is tackling the problem at its root: the supply chain. Their B2B food matchmaking platform is providing manufacturers with the tools to track, manage and redistribute surplus stock, ensuring high-quality ingredients stay in the food system rather than be discarded.

This feature, part of New Food‘s Ingredients for Change series, spotlights the game-changers transforming our food industry. From sustainability pioneers to technical innovators, we explore the key players shaping a better food future. And when it comes to fighting food waste, The Wonki Collective is leading the charge.

The hidden cost of surplus

Dini, whose background spans the food and beverage industry, saw first-hand how overordering, forecasting inaccuracies, and rigid supply chains lead to massive amounts of waste.

“As a food manufacturer, you’re stuck in the middle of a very complex supply chain,” she explains. “You’ve got things upstream, like having to order ingredients up to 18 months before you actually need them in your own supply chain. You have to hit minimum order quantities. You have to hit price breaks to get the best prices you possibly can. And all of this encourages you to order more than you actually need.”

Her journey into tackling food waste began while working at Sipsmith, the renowned London-based gin distillery. It was during this time, particularly while navigating B Corp accreditation, that she became acutely aware of the inefficiencies within the food supply chain. Observing how the team took a proactive approach, regularly reviewing their processes to minimise surplus and improve their operations, reinforced the importance of addressing these challenges.

“I used to have these monthly meetings with the supply chain director and finance controller to really look at what was going on within the supply chain; what was currently surplus and how to redistribute.” These early experiences laid the groundwork for what would become The Wonki Collective.

This logistical nightmare leads to mountains of perfectly good ingredients being tossed aside. But as Dini points out, “The only good option food manufacturers have to redistribute surplus ingredients is to send them to their waste management company. And as we all know, that’s not good enough.”

A smarter way to tackle waste

The Wonki Collective is flipping the script. Their innovative software as a service (SaaS) platform allows food manufacturers to map their surplus, optimise its use and intelligently redistribute it before it becomes waste.

Their process is threefold:

1. Tracking and visualisation – Helping manufacturers monitor surplus ingredients, work-in-progress goods, and finished products in real time
2. Optimisation – Using AI-driven algorithms to automatically direct surplus stock for optimal use, whether that’s redistribution, resale, or repurposing
3. B2B food matchmaking – Connecting businesses with potential buyers who can use surplus ingredients, keeping them in the food system and preventing waste.

The scale of impact

The numbers speak for themselves. Since launching, The Wonki Collective has already:

• Saved 334 tonnes of CO₂ emissions
• Helped 120+ companies manage surplus stock
• Kept 223 tonnes of raw materials in circulation.

With sustainability now a top-three priority for 75 percent of European food and beverage companies, solutions like The Wonki Collective are proving that waste isn’t inevitable, it’s an opportunity for smarter resource use. And this is just the beginning.

The company has ambitious targets to save £50 million-worth of surplus ingredients by 2026, preventing over 70,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. With growing demand from manufacturers seeking sustainable solutions, the model is set to scale rapidly.

Innovate UK Women in Innovation: a catalyst for growth

Recognition of Dini’s work came in February 2025 when she was named an Innovate UK Women in Innovation winner. This prestigious award is given to female-led businesses driving change in their industries, and she is using the platform to amplify both The Wonki Collective’s impact and the broader need for female entrepreneurship.

“I’m very passionate about female entrepreneurship in general. When I was younger, I always had multiple business ideas. My mum has always had her own businesses as well, so I grew up with a very strong female figure in my life, which has definitely motivated me on the journey I’ve been on.”

Beyond her own success, Dini is driven by a mission to support other women in business.

I want to be able to help inspire the next generation. There’s such a gap between the number of female-owned businesses in the UK versus male-owned, and that gap needs to close.”

This gap is further compounded by the fact that less than two percent of venture capital funding in the UK goes to female-founded businesses, a stark reality that highlights the need for greater support and representation.

The £75,000 grant and personalised business support provided by Innovate UK are helping to accelerate The Wonki Collective’s mission, particularly in scaling their integration capabilities with major food manufacturers. The company has already secured a formal partnership with Nestlé, working together to develop new systems for tracking and redistributing surplus ingredients, and Dini is now hoping to expand their impact further.

“So, we’ve got a formal partnership with Nestlé, as well as a few other smaller food manufacturers. But we see the next step as working with many other large food manufacturers to really help them better manage their surplus waste streams and ultimately help the whole industry save money.”

A revolution in the making

For too long, food waste has been treated as an unfortunate side effect of doing business. But pioneers like Dini are proving that a different way is possible, one where surplus ingredients don’t become waste but instead fuel a more circular, efficient food system. It’s a vision where food manufacturers save money, cut emissions and make a tangible impact, without losing a single ounce of quality.

And at the heart of it all? A belief that every ingredient has value, even the wonky ones.