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About
Winnow Food Waste AI is a commercial kitchen intelligence platform that uses computer vision and AI to automatically track, measure, and reduce food waste at scale. At its core is the Throw & Go® system — a touchless recording technology that identifies discarded food items, captures their weight, cost, category, and reason for disposal, all without requiring any manual input from kitchen staff. The platform turns raw waste data into actionable insights through photo-backed reporting and expert culinary coaching. Kitchens can set food waste targets, monitor daily performance, and drill into the biggest waste drivers to make lasting operational changes. A dedicated Zero Waste Culinary Advisor works alongside kitchen teams to translate data into practical, chef-led behaviour change. Winnow is designed to scale from individual restaurant sites to large multi-location operations, with benchmarking tools that compare waste performance across sites. It serves contract caterers, hotels and resorts, cruise ships, casinos, and retail food operations worldwide. With over 70 million meals saved per year, $100 million in annual savings across its customer base, and 122,000 tonnes of CO2e prevented annually, Winnow is a proven sustainability and cost-reduction tool for the hospitality industry. Clients include Marriott International, IKEA, Iberostar, and Guckenheimer, with verified waste reductions of up to 64%. Winnow is a registered B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to social and environmental performance.
Key Features
- Throw & Go® Touchless Recording: AI-powered computer vision automatically identifies discarded food items, records weight, cost, category, and reason for disposal — no manual input required from kitchen staff.
- Real-Time Waste Analytics: Photo-backed reporting dashboards break down food waste by cost, weight, item, and reason, helping kitchens pinpoint and eliminate the biggest sources of loss.
- Multi-Site Benchmarking: Compare food waste performance across multiple locations, set targets, and track progress at both site and portfolio level for large hospitality operators.
- Zero Waste Culinary Advisor Coaching: Dedicated culinary experts work chef-to-chef with kitchen teams to translate waste data into practical, lasting behaviour changes that drive measurable cost savings.
- Target, Measure, Act Framework: A structured approach to food waste reduction: set a clear target, measure waste automatically, and act on the highest-impact drivers with guided recommendations.
Use Cases
- Hotel and resort kitchens tracking buffet and banqueting food waste to reduce overproduction and cut costs across multiple properties.
- Contract catering companies measuring and benchmarking food waste across dozens of corporate dining sites to meet sustainability targets.
- Cruise ship operators managing large-scale kitchen waste to reduce food costs and demonstrate environmental responsibility.
- Corporate dining facilities using waste data and culinary coaching to systematically eliminate the biggest sources of food loss.
- Retail food service operations monitoring prep and spoilage waste in real time to improve ordering accuracy and reduce shrinkage.
Pros
- Proven at Scale: Deployed in 3,000+ commercial kitchens across 94 countries, with verified results including up to 64% food waste reduction and $100M in annual customer savings.
- Zero Workflow Disruption: Throw & Go® requires no changes to how kitchen staff work — food is simply discarded as usual, and AI handles all the tracking automatically.
- Fast ROI: Customers typically achieve food cost savings of 2–8% within 12 months, making the platform financially self-justifying for most commercial operations.
- Scalable for Enterprise: Equally effective for single-site restaurants and large multi-property hotel or catering groups, with cross-location benchmarking built in.
Cons
- Hardware Dependency: The solution requires physical hardware installation in kitchens, adding complexity and upfront setup effort compared to purely software-based tools.
- Enterprise-Oriented Pricing: Pricing is not publicly listed and is likely suited to mid-to-large commercial kitchen operations; may be cost-prohibitive for small independent restaurants.
- Narrow Use Case: Winnow is purpose-built exclusively for commercial food waste reduction and is not applicable outside of hospitality and food service environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Winnow's Throw & Go® technology work?
Throw & Go® uses AI-powered computer vision to automatically identify food items as they are discarded, capturing the item type, weight, cost, and reason for disposal — all without any manual action from kitchen staff. Teams simply continue to throw food away as normal.
How much food waste reduction can kitchens expect?
Winnow is proven to reduce food waste by up to 50% on average, with some customers achieving reductions of up to 64%. Food cost savings of 2–8% are typically delivered within the first 12 months of deployment.
What types of commercial kitchens does Winnow serve?
Winnow is designed for a wide range of commercial kitchen environments, including contract catering operations, hotels and resorts, cruise ships, casinos, and retail food service. It works for both single-site and large multi-location operators.
Is Winnow available internationally?
Yes. Winnow is deployed in over 3,000 kitchens across 94 countries and is available in multiple languages including English, Chinese, German, Spanish, French, and Japanese.
What support does Winnow provide beyond the software?
Winnow provides dedicated Zero Waste Culinary Advisors — experienced chefs who work directly with kitchen teams to interpret waste data and coach staff on practical changes that reduce repeat waste and embed lasting behaviour change.
