Innovation

nutbar offers quick and easy to-go items that are (actually) delicious and packed with superfoods very high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. This means the menu is not simply ‘better for you’ treats; the menu is packed with ingredients providing myriad health benefits. SDG target 3.4 refers to ‘reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promoting mental health and well-being’—the menu at nutbar provides many options that promote building strong, healthy, resilient bodies that are better prepared to prevent many types of disease and illness, both physical and mental.

Its food is sourced from carefully selected local suppliers who share a similar mission of consciousness around consumption and production. These types of farmers and producers are the ones directly supporting SDG targets 2.3 and 2.4 which refer to supporting small-scale food producers and ensuring sustainable, resilient food production and agriculture systems that help maintain ecosystems and improve soil quality. By providing a market for these producers, and promoting the benefits they create, nutbar is also supporting this SDG.

Further, nutbar aims to reduce as much waste as possible by preventing food waste throughout their operations and by providing packaging that is all recyclable or biodegradable, supporting SDG targets 12.3 and 12.5. The company’s signature design, featured on the biodegradable to-go cups, was created by founder Kate Taylor Martin’s brother using only superfood ingredients that can be found on the menu.

Inspiration

Kate was working in Public Relations at a hospital in downtown Toronto and saw first-hand the health epidemic we are facing. She noted that “rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are on the rise, and there is no question that this is tied to the poor foods we’re eating.” She decided to go back to school for holistic nutrition and realized there that we have the ability to take control over many aspects of our own health, starting with what we’re eating. “With this in mind, I wanted to create a place where people could find delicious, nutrient-dense foods while on the go, increasing their overall health and well-being,” she said. Kate noticed that there was a distinct lack of this type of to-go/fast casual offering and had a vision of creating something in a very beautiful, conscious way.

Overall impact

The overall impact of the innovation lies in increasing the overall health and well-being of the community, the environment, and the local economy. nutbar’s mission statement is ‘to create a healthy mind in a healthy body’. “Everything we make and every goal we create is with this in mind. We aim to increase the health and happiness of our communities.” Through both in-store and online channels, nutbar also aims to educate its customers by providing specific insight into the effects of various foods, whether good or bad, to help them make more informed meal choices beyond the café’s walls.

nutbar’s success has shown that there is a market for high-quality, nutrient-dense food, and the more that market grows, the more accessible and affordable these high quality foods can become. Kate’s support of small-scale, mostly local, organic food producers has positive impacts on the environment through better production processes and minimal travel time/distance.

Although only currently serving a small, niche market, Kate has a vision of being part of a completely transformed food system that is based on ethical and sustainable agriculture and sourcing practices, and that boasts knowledgeable, conscious consumers who are mindful of what they put in their bodies and where it came from.

Business benefit

The success of the business can be attributed, at least in part, to a clear focus on providing value to customers and offering products that enhance the quality of their lives rather than contribute to possible health risks. It can also be attributed to never compromising on quality and refusing to cut corners, and to fostering strong relationships with like-minded suppliers. All of these attributes, along with the great taste of the products, helped nutbar gain the recognition that ultimately earned it a position in the newly opened, and highly coveted Assembly Chef’s Hall in downtown Toronto. This new location opening has further proven the viability of the business model and helps Kate and her team plan for future scaling opportunities.

Social and environmental benefit

nutbar benefits society by creating healthier bodies and happier minds through the power of nutrition. By informing consumers and providing products and information that aid in the creation of healthy, disease-resilient bodies has the potential to create significant positive societal impacts. If more people were able to adopt the kind of nutrient-dense diet that nutbar promotes, we would be well on our way to ‘ensuring healthy lives’, which is the vision for SDG #3.

The environmental benefits that nutbar provides show up in Kate’s dedication to sourcing only organic ingredients, and in reducing both food and packaging waste. Organic farming practices have the ability to enrich ecosystems and promote biodiversity, strengthening the environment, and creating more nutritious food, rather than the nutrition-depleting and ecosystem-damaging practices of industrial agriculture.

Kate’s response to the question of what she believes nutbar’s benefit to society is, sums it up well: “By offering these products and creating awareness around the benefits of eating this way and sourcing organic food like this, we’re fostering and encouraging a consciousness around the power that food can have on our overall well-being and the impact it can have on our environment and our lives.”

Interview

Kate Taylor Martin, Founder