Brauerei Locher, a brewery based in the St.GallenBodenseeArea, has developed a snack made from spent malts and grains, by-products of the brewing process. Just over half of the snack, which is called Trellini, consists of spent brewing malts and is sold under the brewbee brand, further details of which can be found in a press release.
According to the press release, Brauerei Locher has founded the first upcycled food brand in Switzerland to reuse brewery by-products such as spent grains and yeast. It uses these to develop food and meat alternatives. “We stop wasting valuable resources and instead use them to develop high-quality, sustainable food products” explains Karl Locher, brewery owner, in the press release.
By 2025, Brauerei Locher intends to process all by-products from the brewing process that do not end up being used for agricultural purposes into food products. To this end, the company, in partnership with the start-up upgrain from Appenzell, is building what it claims to be the largest spent grain upcycling plant in Europe for protein production. In addition, Brauerei Locher is the only brewery in Switzerland to employ ten people independently of its core business in the development, production and sale of food from by-products.
In addition to the Trellini snack, meat alternatives such as Ghackets and Gschnetzlets are sold under the brewbee brand. The vegan line also offers a Bolognese-style spaghetti dish in addition to desserts. The products have long been used by restaurateurs and butchers and are now also available for private households via the brewbee online shop.
