From ideas to action: Circular Gastronomy’s journey to a Circular Food System
- Generation Waste
- Sep 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Over the past five years, Circular Gastronomy has grown into one of the most exciting platforms driving the shift toward a more sustainable and circular food system.
Through its annual Challenge program, ideas and innovations are brought forward that might otherwise remain hidden in a drawer. We sat down with Per Styregård, one of the initiators, to talk about why Circular Gastronomy was founded, what the future holds, and some of his most memorable gastronomic experiences.
From Award to Platform
– In 2019, Ami Hovstadius and I sat down to discuss what we could do with an award then called 100% Circular, which was handed out by White Guide. We realized that sustainability prizes already existed in almost every competition. The problem was that those who had done the real work provided content to the awards but received very little in return. We wanted to turn that around.
Circular Gastronomy wanted to create a platform that supports, develops, and helps ideas move forward
– There is always a shortage of time, money, and resources in this industry. That’s why we wanted to actively contribute to turning ideas into reality, says Per.
Today, Circular Gastronomy receives nominations from all over Sweden covering everything from farming, transport, and packaging solutions to interior design, energy supply, and food waste
– We deliberately work with a “grid,” a framework that covers every part of the food system. If we see a gap in one area – for example food waste – we put extra focus there. We also make sure that both new, untested ideas and established players with fresh concepts are welcome to participate.
An important part of Circular Gastronomy is the advisory board, which complements the work of the jury. Among its members is Generation Waste’s Lina Andersson Fasth
– Lina’s expertise is incredibly important. Food waste and resource efficiency are central issues for the entire industry and strongly linked to circularity. She helps us navigate complex questions and brings unique insights to our work.
How should restaurants communicate sustainability and circular gastronomy?
– It’s difficult. Guests come to enjoy themselves, not to sit through a lecture on resource management. At the same time, there is a real need to show what you’re doing. I believe every restaurant has to find its own language, its own balance. Pointing fingers rarely works, says Per.
We asked what it would take to spark a real debate on food waste and resource use in the restaurant industry?
– I think it’s coming, but progress is slow. Unfortunately, it’s often pressure from outside – climate change, extreme weather, economic challenges – that forces change. But I also believe strongly in individuals, in people who are willing to step up, take the lead, and communicate in a way that makes others interested.
In five years, Per hopes Circular Gastronomy will have grown even more but not as a traditional award gala
– We want to create a movement. It’s not about a banquet with a winner and applause. We want to keep supporting, developing, and holding ideas together so they actually become reality. The movement has already grown with more nominees, more people on the advisory board, more organizations around us and we want to continue growing organically in that way.
When we ask Per to share his most memorable gastronomic experience, he hesitates at first but then his face lights up
– About 15–20 years ago, when I was editor at the food magazine Gourmet, we organized a dinner with Stefan Eriksson and another chef. The starter was a simple half a potato on a toothpick. Minimalism, a focus on taste and the origin of the ingredient. At the time, it was groundbreaking for me and it showed that simplicity can be just as powerful as the most elaborate dish.
Another memory comes from Penang, Malaysia
– There, dishes from India, China, and Thailand come together – traces of migration and history on the plate. Walking through the food courts felt like traveling through cultures by way of food. It was an incredible experience!
Per concludes by emphasizing that Circular Gastronomy is still only at the beginning of its journey
– We want to continue opening doors, broadening the discussion, and above all, giving back to the industry. Because that’s where the ideas are – with the chefs, the entrepreneurs, and the changemakers.
