Ever wonder what happens to those sub roll ends that are cut off in the making of your sandwich? If you guessed “thrown out,” you’d be correct…until recently!
David Krasner and Mike Teunis, both 16 and Quizno’s employees in Frederick, Md., witnessed this common form of wasted food every day they worked at the sub shop. As reported in The Frederick News, they’ve found a use for these loaf ends: serving them to the hungry alongside crock pot stews or stir-frys.
While David and Mike have a healthy dose of teen angst (“They’re taking away everything,” David said. “Kids have nothing to do.”), they’ve put it to good use. They formed a local chapter of Food Not Bombs and are repurposing some of the discarded bread.
Calls to the Frederick Quizno’s could neither confirm nor deny whether this repurposing is done with the sub shop’s knowledge (language was a bit of a barrier on the phone). Either way, it’s a neat use for a clear example of food waste.Â
One question remains:Â if sub shops want square-ended bread, why not just bake them that way?
Comments
3 responses to “Ends Justified”
So which sub shops do not waste bread? Subway, I think. Any others we can list?
I’m almost certain Subway doesn’t waste their bread, but I’m not positive on other sub shops. Anyone out there who does know, please enlighten us. I’ll be on the lookout, too.
Also, this sub issue isn’t specific to chains. My favorite sandwich shop near Boston converts a large sub roll into a small by lopping off one third. I always thought the excess would make great croutons, but I don’t think they utilize the “ends.”
If my recent Subway experience represents company policy, they don’t waste their bread. They use simple math: They slice a foot-long sub in half to get a 6-inch. And they keep the other half around for the next person who orders a small.