In a new effort towards a more sustainable future, Woolworths have taken the war of food waste to new— or brew—heights, with unsold loaves of bread from the supermarket giant repurposed for beer.

‘Loafer’ is a limited edition pale ale made by Tribe Breweries in Goulburn, New South Wales which is being sold exclusively in BWS and Dan Murphy’s, with more than 350kg of leftover bread being diverted from potential landfill to create the unique beer.

Proceeds from the sale of the brew will also help to raise funds for the Feed Appeal, which helps Australians suffering from the impacts of food insecurity to put meals on the table.

Woolworths Head of Sustainability, Adrian Cullen said that the company is looking at how it can make an impact in the sustainability and community space simply by doing things differently.

“The ability to divert surplus food away from landfill, and to help support our local food rescue partners to help feed Australians that would otherwise go hungry, is a critical part of our day-to-day operations and support of the community,” Mr Cullen said.

“We’re excited to bring to Australians our first circular economy craft beer. For every six-pack of ‘Loafer’ purchased, you will not only help to put a meal on the table for someone in need, but you will also be enjoying a beer that has helped divert unsold loaves of bread from heading to landfill.”

Tribe Breweries Head of Innovation, Josh Gaudry said the brewery was excited to be able to support Feed Appeal and Woolworths in their fight against hunger and food waste.

“Through collecting rescued bread from Woolworths, we were able to incorporate this into the base of our brew, and lovingly crafted each beer with the aroma of fresh toast to produce an easy going pale ale with bright hoppy aromas reminiscent of pear and pineapple,” he said.

“If you ask me, it’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

‘Loafer’ is available while stocks last exclusively at BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores across Australia.