After braving the afternoon sun on a hot May day, the cool confines of the all-white interiors of The Pantry are a breath of fresh air. Chef and mixologist Arina Suchde is waiting for us and we are here to discuss The Pantry's new sustainable menu, which Suchde has designed, and that uses leftovers from the kitchen. After settling in, we immediately start discussing food waste in the industry — a serious concern that plagues people at various touchpoints across the globe. Suchde brings to our notice that food waste, in fact, starts in the kitchen, even before we begin cooking.

"A lot of produce doesn't even make it to the shelf. From the farm to the wholesaler to the local retailer, a lot of produce gets left behind in our quest for the best shape, colour and size. A good amount of produce is also lost due to storage and logistics. Furthermore, at an ultra-local level, we argue with the sabziwalla for giving us cauliflower with stalks that takes up most of the weight of the vegetable and would eventually be discarded — but then that's where the chunk of the nutrition is," explains Suchde, who is one of the few chefs in the city who is passionate about reducing food wastage.