LONDON POSTCARD: BIO-BEAN

It was just a matter of time when you think about it. With London priding itself on its coffee savvy and present generation of coffee roasters, baristas and independent cafes, it was inevitable that someone somewhere would ask the question- what can we do with all that coffee grind?  Enter Bio-Bean, a new UK-based start-up that is turning used beans into green energy. It would seem that in London alone over 200,00 tonnes of coffee waste are produced each year. Bio-Bean collects and converts this waste into carbon-neutral advanced biofuel (both biomass pellets and biodiesel), selling it to London businesses to power buildings and transport. If you think this is an extraordinary idea, you are not alone. Bio-Bean has been endorsed by heavyweights such as Ed Daniels (Chairman of Shell), Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (food writer, chef) and London's own, Boris Johnson (Major of London). So when you next drink your latte, feel good that you are potentially contributing to efforts to make London a green city. To learn more about Bio-Bean, watch their video here. 

GREEN HEROS
In disused air-raid shelters underneath the streets of Clapham in South London, micro-greens and salad leaves are being grown by Growing Underground.

LONDON LARDER
Discover the diversity of London's food larder from its markets, beekeepers, coffee roasters, and grocers. 

FOOD WALKS
Get to know London like a local with our self-guided food walks. Discover its food streets and districts and all you can eat, drink, cook and ware.