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247: Zero Waste, Plant-Based, and Other Delicious Decisions with Vojtech Vegh

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May 27, 2025

Join Vojtech Vegh, a zero-waste vegan chef and founder of SurplusFoodStudio.com, as he takes listeners on a journey from a reluctant waiter to a culinary innovator. He shares transformative insights on preventing food waste, emphasizing that planning is key. Discover how to creatively repurpose scraps, turning carrot tops and watermelon rinds into culinary delights. Vojtech discusses the chef’s role in sustainability and how small mindset shifts can make low-waste cooking the new norm, both in restaurants and at home.

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ADVICE

Shift Mindset Before Practice

Change chefs' mindsets first to reduce food waste effectively.
Implement practical kitchen steps that integrate unused parts into menus without extra workload.

ADVICE

Use By-Products Creatively

Use by-products in familiar dishes instead of inventing new recipes.
Replace traditional ingredients like zucchini with items like watermelon rind or broccoli stalks in usual preparations.

INSIGHT

Habits Define Waste Perceptions

Habits shape what we consider inedible waste like potato or banana peels.
Removing the 'waste' label can inspire culinary creativity and better use of ingredients.

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“Waste is a human decision. Nature doesn’t waste anything.” — Vojtech Vegh

This week on Vedge Your Best, Michele sits down with zero-waste vegan chef Vojtech Vegh, author, sustainability consultant, and founder of SurplusFoodStudio.com, to explore how the way we think about ingredients can transform both our meals and our environmental impact.

Vojtech shares his journey from a reluctant waiter in Slovakia to opening a plant-based, zero-waste fine-dining restaurant in Cambodia, and how he now helps chefs and hospitality leaders reimagine their kitchens with creativity and intention.

In this episode, we explore:

Why food waste prevention starts with planning—not extra effort
How zero-waste cooking can actually save time and money
What it takes to reframe scraps as ingredients
Creative uses for carrot tops, banana peels, watermelon rinds, and more
How professional chefs can influence industry-wide sustainability
The mindset shift needed to make low-waste the new normal

Whether you're in hospitality or just trying to waste less at home, this conversation will change the way you look at what goes in your bin—and what ends up on your plate.

Guest Links

Website: surplusfoodstudio.com
Instagram: instagram.com/vojtechvegh

Listener Challenge

Try using one fruit or vegetable part this week that you normally discard. Tag @VedgeYourBest and @vojtechvegh on Instagram to share.

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