Sustainability

Since day one, we’ve been dedicated to leading with purpose and making sustainable decisions that last longer than we will.

For us, Sustainability is a holistic approach that considers ecological, social and economic dimensions. All must be considered together to ﬁnd lasting prosperity and honest entrepreneurship. For us, this means bringing it into every thought, every decision, the big one just like the small one.

Living in a sustainable way is the deﬁning challenge of our generation.

We believe that we need to be the change we want to see in the world. So, that is how we roll. We eat the change. We are the change. This is not about image, this is who we are and it permeates everything we do. It’s exciting and engaging and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Creating transparency is the key word in striving for sustainability. We know we need to change our ways. Yet the complexity of the themes, challenges and solutions seems overwhelming. And thus, sometimes we feel stuck, our brains send us into gridlock. But it is not only perfect solutions, lifestyles & businesses, that are going to save us. It is togetherness, openness and using the understanding gained by others who have gone before us, that is going to help us. Every individual contributes to this sense of togetherness, strengthening our community, that supports and empowers each other in conscious decision making.

Let’s do our little bit of good just right where we are; it’s those little bits of good put together, that will overwhelm the world.

Food production contributes to climate change, soil is impoverished, animals are tortured, biodiversity is ravaged, mountains of food is thrown away and if not, it contributes to a crisis of obesity and related health issues.

Food can help us to understand the complexity of a sustainable, healthy, ethical life. Since it represents life. Yet it is graspable and material, and we need to decide upon it many times a day. We care deeply about mama earth and are committed to her. We are nourishing ourselves and mama earth at the same time. Because we are one.

As restaurant leaders in an industry that drives 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is our responsibility to use our resources and platform to confront this crisis head on. Our choices can help alleviate the most pressing issues we face today: the climate crisis, infectious and chronic diseases, human exploitation and, of course, non-human exploitation.

Our food

is plant based

And with that we mean 100% vegan. By helping people include more plant based food in their diets, we are accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable eating.

Animal agriculture is the single largest driver of habitat loss and rainforest deforestation. Shifting to a plant based diet would reduce agricultural emissions by up to 73% in high income nations. And would free up 75% of current agricultural land globally. Animal products have been shown to be responsible for 83% of the emissions in the average EU diet. Compared to only 17 % coming from plant based foods. A ﬁve year study from The University of Oxford*, which is the most comprehensive study ever to analyse the relationship between farming and the environment, concluded that the single biggest thing that we can do as individuals to prevent the Climate Crisis is to be vegan. Yet despite this, food still isn’t fully on our political and economic radar. This must change and given the scale of the problems we face, the sooner the better. However, we can change as individuals. And YES, you can make a difference. Imagine if Mandela, Rosa Parks or MartinLuther King had said “but one person can’t make a difference.”

Our 100% plant based menu means that we’re already on average 70% less carbon intensive than the average German meal.

People think of going vegan as a deprivation. But it is not a ‘giving up’. It is a giving. It is not a deprivation. It is a joy.

Animals are here with us. Not for us. While we celebrate and champion the incredible environmental and health beneﬁts of plant based diets, we consider this choice an ethical one. We are part of a social justice movement. For the majority of us, we would always help an animal who was suffering in front of us. However, reality is different. By going vegan we are ﬁercely stating ‘not in our name’.

is mostly organic and of best quality

we work foremost with organic or biodynamic products. This way we contribute to planetary health, a healthy food system and in the same time the best natural life force energy all the way to your plate.

Our biggest area of opportunity is how we choose to source our food. In a world where the long- and short-term effects of climate change pose major challenges for farmers, the need for regenerative food systems has never been more important. Therefore we work foremost with organic or biodynamic products. This way we contribute to planetary health, a healthy food system and at the same time the best natural life force energy all the way to your plate.

⠀ The philosophy behind organic farming is maintaining and improving the health of the land. This means organic growing strives to promote natural diversity, keeping the soil rich in nutrients and microorganisms. It relies on beneﬁcial insects and crop rotation to maintain a balanced ecosystem. For this reason, synthetic pesticides and fertilisers have no place on an organic farm since they damage the soil, pollute, and have a long-term negative effect on the environment and health of the farm workers, animals and those who consume the food. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Biodynamic farming takes organic farming a step further, working in harmony with nature, nourishing and enlivening the health of the whole farm. Food grown using biodynamic methods has its own certiﬁcation called DEMETER, this is regarded as the highest grade of organic farming in the world, and perhaps the truest measure of organic and sustainability.

If you want to learn more about regenerative farming; watch the Netﬂix documentary ‘Kiss the Ground’, Allan Savory’s Ted Talk, read Gabe Brown’s 2018 book ‘Dirt to Soil: One family’s journey into regenerative farming’, or try to grow your own veg on your balcony or in your garden.

is diverse

By incorporating over 300 unique ingredients into our menu every month, we contribute to one of the biggest global challenges: biodiversity. Diversity is key to resilience.

The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat all rely on biodiversity. But it is in crisis, because of us. What is biodiversity and why does it matter?

Biodiversity is the most complex feature of our planet and its most vital one. Biodiversity is comprised of several levels, starting with genes, species, communities and ﬁnally entire ecosystems, such as forests, where life interplays with the physical environment. When scientists explore ecosystems, they ﬁnd countless interactions, all honed by millions of years of evolution. If undamaged, this produces a ﬁnely balanced, healthy system which contributes to a healthy sustainable planet. But, the huge global biodiversity losses we now face, represent a crisis equalling, or surpassing, climate change.

Giving nature the space and protection it needs is the only answer. We can all help. Making the animals worth more alive than dead is key. Most wildlife is destroyed by land being cleared for cattle, soy, palm oil, timber and leather. Most of us consume these products every day, with palm oil being found in many foods and toiletries. Choosing only sustainable options helps, as does eating less meat, particularly beef, which has an outsized environmental hoofprint. Choosing a variety of the abundance of plant based produce, and opt for rare sorts.

is seasonal and we keep our sources close

We roll with the seasons. This is making sure we are ﬂowing with earthy rhythms and thus, minimising our food print, neutralising risks that come with sourcing globally, and maximising our positive impact.

We roll with the seasons. Our menu changes monthly and we can keep our sources close. Our ingredients are sourced locally with the exception of some foods like nuts, spices, coconut milk, coffee & cacao. This is making sure we are ﬂowing with earthy rhythms and thus, minimising our food print, neutralising risks that come with sourcing globally, and maximising our positive impact. The concept of rolling with the seasons also means breaking down what to eat during each season to maintain health and prevent disease, getting the best quality foods earth gives us at a speciﬁc moment. This way we support our bodies in this constant transformation and adaptation.

However, since we are committed to 100% plant based & delicious food, we feel we have to make concessions on locality. This is a concession we do. We differentiate between fresh and dried foods. Fresh food is always local. Dried foods can come from further away. With fresh foods we mean vegetables & fruits. With dried foods we mean nuts, spices, some grains and dried fruits.

is celebrating vegetables

And with that we mean 100% vegan. By helping people include more plant based food in their diets, we are accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable eating.

We can make revolutionary change simply by understanding and valuing our food, and how, by looking through the lens of food, we can design a better future. The food that you eat is the future you and by extension, the way we eat in the future will shape our future too.

Our recipe development process is complex, yet sparking with joy and creativity. We walk over the Isemarkt and feel with all our senses, the abundance of a speciﬁc season. We develop every recipe, every dish from scratch, with all our values in mind. Then, we eat. Together, or all by ourselves. We celebrate what is on our plate. We celebrate life. We nourish ourselves on all levels and ﬁnd true joy in eating.

will not go to waste

If food waste was a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses after the US and China, it’s one of the biggest (and mostly silent) issues in global warming at the moment.

It is in our DNA to not waste any food. Our tiny food system is based upon it. We cook fresh every day, and at the end of the day it is possible that you get a ‘no’ from our service team because something is sold out and only produced fresh again the next day. Besides not throwing away excess food, we are committed to using whole vegetables, stem to leaf. Our leftover broccoli stems and leaves, for example, are chopped ﬁne and reunited with their ﬂorets and stalks in a fresh slaw or go straight into the oven. Our orange, lime and lemon peels are pillaged for their zest, grated into vinaigrettes, and sprinkled over cheesecakes or yellow beetroots. All kinds of cutting waste is not waste at all, but lays the fundament for stews, sauces and soups with our various broth recipes. All that is leftover goes into bio waste, picked up by the city government. However, we feel there is room for improvement. On our side and on the government and waste processing side. There still goes food to waste. And we are ﬁnding better ways to prevent and deal with this.

Every time we eat, we have the power to radically transform the world we live in.

Our deli’s

When we talk about building a better future, we mean everything, from the physical infrastructure of our deli to the power and energy we use to keep it running. Right from scratch we designed our deli with materials contributing to a sustainable future. Our deli is embodying our values in a tangible way. Some of our furniture, decorations and cutlery is vintage, some of it is bought from partners that have the same values in mind. On our walls you will feel natural lime paint to create a living place where we can all breathe in fresh air without chemicals. Our kitchen is open, we have nothing to hide. Our place breathes transparency, peace and life.

We get our energy from Lichtblick. Eco electricity of course. But what is that exactly? Regenerative energy is electricity that is 100% ecologically generated using renewable energy sources. Our energy at the deli comes from water energy.

Packing & shipping

Single used packaging is often utilised just for a few minutes, representing a signiﬁcant source of waste and environmental impact due to their low recyclability. Consequently, it is important to us to work with more sustainable alternatives as much as possible. That’s why we offer several solutions to tackle the problem.

We offer our specially designed reusable meal boxes in our deli. You can simply buy and use them right away and then reuse them over and over again. Additionally we collaborate with two amazing systems, namely recup & vytal. Both free of charge for your and super convenient, just give them a try! Also if you bring your own box or cup we give you discounts on your food and drinks. We make it easy for you, but you have to help us with this one.

When we can’t use our reusable options, we will always use the most appropriate packaging to prevent food waste and minimise the carbon impact of our products on the environment. What goes by post goes plastic free so you can recycle it in the waste paper bin. We pack everything plastic-free – boxes, parcel tape, and shipping labels are made of recycled paper & grass paper. We ship climate-neutral with Go Green shipping from DHL.

Planting back

Our ideas are built on sustainable ideas, our packaging is green. Yet, this is not enough for us. When it comes to climate change, the message is clear: native woods and trees are one of the best ways to tackle the climate crisis. By planting trees with Treedom, we convey our environmental commitment in an engaging, tangible and transparent way. Treedom directly ﬁnances small agroforestry projects that generate environmental and social beneﬁts. The trees are planted by local farmers and will provide environmental and social beneﬁts.

Social Equality

ÆNDRÈ was founded by a woman: Janine. Two weeks before opening up Hiwet, ﬂed from Eritrea, started cooking. One month later Letterpiel started assisting in the kitchen. One year later Marielen started spreading her magic on all levels. And besides these superwomen, we have more female heroes, woman led, we can say. And whereas woman led is powerful, diversity and equality are more powerful. That is what we are striving for.

We are a place where everyone can work and everyone is welcome. We are striving for different nationalities, cultural backgrounds and different thinkers. We try to be an emotional, as well as physical safe space for ourselves and all humans coming by, ofﬂine as well as online.

However, the food and topics we are talking about cost money. And our spending patterns have changed. Food and wellness are now seen and felt as a luxury for a lot of people. Also, are we too much in our own bubble? When we critically think about this, are we including enough? Are we including people from different backgrounds enough as customers? On our bucket list to challenge ourselves.

Community

Our north star is to give more than we take. It feels so good to make a positive impact and play an active role in our communities. Especially taking care of the ones that are in need of support. Right from the start we decided to work with refugees and people from different cultures. Besides integrating support in our businesses, we also do single food and money donations and communications from time to time, for instance for the ethiopian war, lebanese explosions, german ﬂoods and marginalised groups.

The question remains; Are we contributing enough to people who have less?

Bucket list

We are very proud that our choices impact so many people and topics. But it’s in our DNA to always do more. We certainly don’t have it all ﬁgured out, and we’re committed to continuous improvement.

Packaging is a pain in food business. We will always use the most appropriate packaging to prevent food waste and minimise the carbon impact of our products on the environment. We are not a packaging company, so we can’t create the solutions ourselves, but we are early adopters of new solutions and will keep on asking.
Also we are striving for 100% reusable packaging. A beautiful goal, but a very challenging one. Since it involves many hurdles, discussions and extra workload.
We have this longing to share with you in person, coming together as a community, somewhere, in a different place than our normal lives. We have this vision of our own place in the mountains, somewhere in the south of Germany, or maybe even Austria or Italy, where we can live, move, grow and learn together. To better understand ourselves, we sometimes need a break from our everyday life and take time to reﬂect. To better understand where our food comes from and how it's grown, we need to grow our food ourselves. To feel better in our bodies, we sometimes need to commit to more intense. To achieve breakthroughs we sometimes need to break through.
Besides occasional events, we want to connect more with where our food comes from. Really getting to know the people around us, serving us with their production.
We just started planting trees. That agricultural forest is on our bucket list!
Are we too much in our own bubble? How can we diversify and contribute to equality? This question is a deep one and one we would like to answer continuously.
We want to contribute more. Integrating more support in our businesses, just as more single food and money donations.
Education is also on our bucket list. Helping people with new routines, movement, recipes and techniques. Educate children on where our food comes and feeling whole in their bodies.

Through wins, learnings, and setbacks, we’re ready to hold ourselves accountable and share openly with you at every step.