Sustainability
Our Efforts Towards A Greener Future
At Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen, we’re committed to enhancing our sustainability efforts. By carefully selecting seasonal ingredients, minimizing food waste, and eliminating single-use items, we’re dedicated to creating a greener culinary experience.
Composting & Recycling
We compost all food waste in our facility with Crown Town Compost. This helps us divert 25% of our waste from the landfill. There are also so many benefits of helping to regenerate the soil and promote carbon sequestration.
Use code CHEFALYSSA for a complimentary month of their home pick-up composting services.
We proudly recycle both mainstream recyclables as well as flexible plastics.
Sustainable Tower Gardens
We have three hydroponic grow towers in our space that we utilize year-round. We grow greens and vegetables for our menu as well as a variety of herbs utilized in classes and catering. These grow are economic and low-waste, using just 2% of the water required for traditional farming.
Recycling Family Meal Containers
It is our mission to reduce waste, not create more…so, we created our patio recycling center. The pandemic shifted the world into ordering more take-out and we worked to identify how we could stick with our mission. We were awarded an Innovation Grant from Charlotte Center City Partners to work toward these improvements. We partnered with the Innovation Barn to create these bins for our guests to utilize. We encourage everyone to bring back the to-go packaging and place them in our bins. Items can either be placed in the compost side, or the polypropylene containers, per NC Health Department Guidelines, can be washed in our kitchen and re-used. As for those flashy green bags? They are heavy-duty so please re-use those!
Local CSAs
Community Supported Agriculture is a great way to get consistent, high-quality products. Signing up for a seasonal CSA means you will receive a box each week full of the best the farm has to offer and it takes the edge off your weekly grocery shopping!
Innovation Barn
We partner with Envision Charlotte and The Innovation Barn to determine best ways to reduce waste and implement greener practices at CAK.
Our Local Farm Favorites
We established our business inside of a farmer’s market. Using local isn’t just a buzzword for us, it’s about getting to know each farm and finding creative ways to highlight seasonality. Some of our favorite ingredients are carrots, watermelon, sweet corn, fairytale eggplant, Arkansas traveler tomatoes, lacinato kale… just to name a few!
How To Get Involved
Use our patio recycling center! This is where you can bring back any food containers.
Want to compost at home? Use code CHEF ALYSSA for a free month with Crown Town Compost.
Volunteer at the Innovation Barn.
Frequent the farmer’s market.
Learn what can be recycled in your county HERE.
Interested in a tower garden at home? Use this link.
How To Use Local Ingredients
Cooking seasonally is so good for your health and your favorite recipes will taste so much better using the ripest ingredients!
Shop Early Farmer’s Markets
You’ll want to use your fresh ingredients immediately, but remember that freshly harvested will last much longer, so you’ll have some extra time to make everything you hope to.
Wash and Store
Ice-cold water is best for washing leafy greens of any variety. Remove the tops on items like carrots, etc. and store them separately or they will draw out the moisture in the vegetable. Store your trimmings in the freezer for an east stock. Keep herbs and asparagus in a jar of water in the fridge to keep longer. Mushrooms want to breathe, store in a paper bag.
Get Creative
As a rule of thumb, seasonal ingredients pair well together. Think Tomato + Basil or Ginger + Garlic. A great resource is to use The Flavor Bible or The Vegetarian Flavor Bible for ideas in flavor combinations.
Gift cards for cooking classes and family table meals. Ideal for anyone, these cards allow recipients to choose from any available class or ready to go meals. Purchase online and they are delivered right to your inbox.
Enjoy our made-fresh-daily meals, crafted with local ingredients for pick-up or delivery, and order by 11 am for same-day service!
Elevate your next office lunch or group gathering with our assortment of individually boxed or bulk meals, featuring warm grain bowls, local green salads, hearty wraps, and more.
Young aspiring chefs are welcome! Attend our Adult + Child and Adult + Teen events monthly, or explore our summer culinary and baking camps for more culinary fun.