Misfit Garden gives imperfect fruit and veges a second chance

Supermarkets deemed the pears too small to sell. Taupo restaurant Embra collaborated with Misfit Garden to give them a second life. Photo / Misfit Garden

A Taupō business has declared war on beauty standards in the food industry by sourcing and distributing fruit and vegetables rejected purely on their looks.

Misfit Garden, a produce supply business, is giving fruit and vegetables that have been rejected by supermarkets a second chance.

“[We are] on a mission to combat food waste by rescuing fruits and vegetables that don’t meet the supermarket beauty standards,” Misfit Garden owner Jen Long said.

“These so-called misfits - be it a carrot that’s too crooked or a pear that’s too small - are rejected not for their quality, but for their appearance.

“[We give] these overlooked gems a second chance by sourcing them directly from growers and distributing them across New Zealand ... Perfectly imperfect produce should not end up in the bin.”

Misfit Garden deliver subscription boxes of produce to people’s homes but they also supply a bunch of the local eateries.

Recently, they collaborated with acclaimed Taupō restaurant Embra which was awarded two hats by Cuisine Magazine last month and is known for its innovative approach to fine dining.

Together, they gave a batch of “reject” pears, that supermarkets deemed too small for their shelves, a new life.

Embra’s head chef Phill Blackburne accepted the challenge and planned one of the dishes on Embra’s menu around these very pears.

“This approach to food isn’t just about sustainability; it’s also about creativity. For a chef like Phill, working with unconventional ingredients provides an opportunity to innovate,” Long said.

Embra head chef Phill Blackburne turned "misfit" pears into a fine-dining delight. Photo / Misfit Garden

“These misfit pears, for example, offered a blank canvas for culinary experimentation leading to a dish that graces the plates of Embra’s diners.”

She said the collaboration was also about more than just reducing food waste.

“It’s a statement about value ... and who gets to decide what’s good enough,” Long said.

“In a world that often prioritises aesthetics over substance, especially when it comes to food, it’s heartening to see businesses trying to part ways with those outdated industry standards ... proving that beauty, taste, and quality aren’t bound by perfection.”

Long launched Misfit Garden together with Sofia Dekovic in 2020, inspired by their experiences of produce markets in Europe and South America where “funny looking” vegetables are offered at every stall.

“It made us realise that we only ever saw uniform and aesthetically pleasing produce in the supermarkets in NZ. But why?” Long said.

The initiative started with a stall at a local Taupō market but has since grown into a New Zealand-wide venture.