Innovation

Cleveland Kitchen exemplifies responsible consumption by embedding sustainability in its products, operations, and partnerships. Through fermentation of fresh vegetables, the shelf life of the produce is extended significantly. The company diverts nearly 5 million pounds of cabbage annually, reducing food spoilage while promoting gut health. They repurpose byproducts like pickle spear ends into new upcycled snack products and donate near-expiry produce to the Cleveland Food Bank to ensure nutritious food reaches those in need. 

The company sources ingredients from local family farms and uses recyclable, U.S.-made flat-pack pouches, employing a lightweighting approach to reduce their carbon footprint when compared with alternatives like glass and hard plastic. Most of the company's packaging suppliers are located in Ohio, supporting local economies and minimizing transportation emissions. By aligning sustainable sourcing, waste reduction, and accessible nutrition, Cleveland Kitchen demonstrates how responsible production creates positive environmental and social impact at scale. 

Inspiration

Cleveland Kitchen officially began at a farmer’s market in 2014. Cleveland Kitchen’s fermented foods story evolves from Eastern European influence, including comfort foods such as Pierogi, sauerkraut, and kielbasa. After traveling to the Southeast, the Cleveland Kitchen founders realized they could not get this traditional soul food at home, so they began fermenting it themselves, bringing these lessons and recipes back to Cleveland. After sharing recipes and putting their own twist on it, the Cleveland Kitchen founders started selling at farmers’ markets as a weekend hustle in addition to their typical weekday office jobs. This sometimes meant they were cooking into the early hours of two in the morning. 

Two years later, in 2016, they quit their day jobs to pursue Cleveland Kitchen full-time as manufacturers. The team eventually opened a 65,000 square foot facility in Cleveland and travels often to sell to their 14,000 retail locations. Cleveland Kitchen aspires to continue looking for ways to reduce waste within the business for a greater impact on the environment. In addition to reducing waste, Cleveland Kitchen aspires to innovate fresh, gut-healthy foods to increase awareness and options for fermented foods locally and regionally through their retail partnerships. 

Overall impact

Cleveland Kitchen’s main goal is to provide fermented foods to retailers nationwide while maintaining sustainable sourcing of ingredients by continuing to work directly with their farmers and conducting site visits. In addition, Cleveland Kitchen strives to educate consumers about their sustainability actions, including their packaging and the sustainability of fermented foods in general. Their products are now sold in over 14,000 retail locations nationwide, including major retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods. This makes gut-healthy, probiotic-rich foods affordable and widely accessible. 

By sourcing regionally and partnering with cooperative family farms, Cleveland Kitchen supports local agriculture, reduces reliance on long-haul transport, and ensures ethical farming practices are upheld. Their use of recyclable, U.S.-made flat-pack pouches significantly reduces packaging waste and carbon footprint compared to heavier, more resource-intensive materials like glass. The company is actively addressing food waste, repurposing leftover pickle trimmings through partnerships with upcycled food brands and donating near-expiry products to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Through this holistic approach to health, sustainability, and social impact, Cleveland Kitchen demonstrates how mission-driven innovation can drive business success while making a positive difference in the community and environment. 

Business benefit

Today, about 130 of their 140 employees are based in Cleveland, where the business started and continues to evolve. In addition to offering healthcare and other benefits to all employees, Cleveland Kitchen provides learning opportunities and plenty of Cleveland Kitchen fermented food products to all employees, contributing to their overall well-being. Cleveland Kitchen provides for employees financially by paying well above the minimum wage. These small but intentional practices contribute to a culture of wellness and purpose in the workplace. Financial stability is a core value for Cleveland Kitchen as they recognize that fair compensation is foundational to long-term employee satisfaction and success. By fostering an environment that values health, education, and fair pay, Cleveland Kitchen demonstrates how mission-driven companies can create lasting social impact starting with their own team. 

Social and environmental benefit

Cleveland Kitchen uses flat-pack pouch packaging sourced from the United States to reduce carbon footprint in shipping emissions. Many of Cleveland Kitchen’s partnerships are located in Ohio, which shortens their supply chain to eliminate emissions. Cleveland Kitchen can repurpose potential food waste and send it to other suppliers, addressing a huge issue in the United States. If products fall below the minimum ship date of 50 days Cleveland Kitchen provides these products to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, getting as many nutrient-dense, non-typical pantry products to Clevelanders in need. 

Cleveland Kitchen strives to create more partnerships with local and larger companies to find additional ways of upcycling products in the health food industry. They are specifically exploring ways to give vegetables a longer shelf life while maintaining their full nutritional value. Cleveland Kitchen looks to find ways to reduce waste as much as possible through new and innovative methods in their operations, such as repurposing items that don’t meet qualification standards for retail sales into different products, like turning cucumbers into relish. Looking ahead, Cleveland Kitchen wants to work with more businesses to create sustainable alternatives with products and reduce as much waste as possible while maintaining profitability. 

Interview

Mac Anderson, Chief Commercial Officer