Ugly Duck's Tasty War on Waste

From time-to-time I come across someone doing something that just can’t be ignored … Ugly Duck.

 

No, I’m not referring to the children’s story, I’m talking about the best preserves I’ve tasted in a long time – & here’s why:

They’re award winning in quality & taste

They’re made from real fruit & veg – no sprays, waxes or nasties; just real food!

They’re preservative, artificial colour & flavour free

They’re vegan friendly & naturally gluten free

They’re handmade from scratch in small batches – no factory processing here

They’re Australian made

 

But here’s what puts them in a whole new stratosphere above other award-winning preserves … they’re made from seconds fruit & veg. In 2017, 795 000 tonnes of fruit produced in Australia was rejected at farm level.

 

795 000 tonnes!!

 

It’s because most retailers reject any fruit or veg that are non-standard size, shape or colour … & guess where most of it ends up – landfill.

 

 

Enter Ugly Duck. They believe that food shouldn’t be wasted & therefore source fresh ingredients direct from local farms, gathering up their imperfect & surplus produce. They don’t care about odd shapes & sizes, what matters to them is the taste & freshness of ingredients. Here’s a few great examples.

 

   

 

These spray free plums on the left might not be beautiful on the outside, but they do make the most beautiful Plum Chilli Paste. Earlier this year farmer Mario’s tree-ripened & spray free locally grown plums on the right were battered by hail. Ugly Duck could use them though in their Plum Chilli Paste – it just involved a bit more prepping time & cutting out all the hail damage.

 

      

 

These seconds figs make for a killer Fig & Fennel Paste while these rather large spray free lemons come from a farm 10 minutes up the road from the Ugly Duck kitchen. Some rather unattractive Mary Valley turmeric that goes into the their award winning Nectarine & Turmeric Fruit Spread. Farmer Malcom’s trees are heavy with giant fruit that nobody wants to use – nobody that is, except Ugly Duck! They’ll whip them up into the tastiest marmalade you’ll ever have the good fortune of sampling.

 

 

Ugly Duck create & craft a distinctive range of fruit spreads chutney, relishes & fruit pastes – many of which have won prestigious awards for quality & taste. Here are a few great ways to enjoy their preserves – from a quick pizza dinner (made from wholemeal flat bread, an Ugly Duck preserve & toppings of your choice) to gourmet cheese platters or dessert & breakfast treats.

 

 

 

I like everything about Ugly Duck, I like it a lot. The children’s story of the Ugly Duckling is a great lesson in not judging a book by its cover … so here’s to judging food by taste & goodness (not looks), while joining the fight against waste.

 

 

Ugly Duck, we’re so proud to have you join the Urbano Village fold; & to you, our customers & community, we hope you not only enjoy these scrumptious products, but also the beautiful philosophy behind them. x

 

Shop our range of Ugly Duck preserves here.

 

 

By Kylie Banks

 

Photos:

Ugly Duck & SCARCE