An exciting feature in Nomad Africa’s Magazine spotlighting our Head of F&B Wendy Wahito’s commitment to sustainable dining.
In Kenya, food loss and waste amount to a staggering Ksh 72 billion annually. According to UNEP’s 2021 Food Waste Index Report, each Kenyan discards around 99 kilograms of food per year, even as food insecurity remains a pressing challenge.
At KOFISI, we are taking this challenge head-on reimagining how our kitchens operate to reduce food waste and environmental impact.
In 2024, KOFISI launched a comprehensive Sustainability Audit, reaffirming our commitment to environmental, social and operational responsibility. This commitment extends from climate-conscious design and circular economy practices to inclusive hiring and local sourcing.
KOFISI works with businesses across Africa to co-create scalable solutions for challenges like urban greening, waste management and sustainable apparel. Now, we are not only redefining how we work, but how we nourish that work sustainably.
Across our Centres, KOFISI’s kitchens serve hundreds of Members and guests each day. That scale brings responsibility and opportunity in how food is sourced, prepared and served.
Leading this culinary rethink is Wendy Wahito, Executive Chef and Head of KOFISI’s Food and Beverage team. Her efforts in integrating sustainable practices at the heart of hospitality have made her the first KOFISI Sustainability Ambassador.
Menus at KOFISI shift with the seasons, led not by whim but by what the land offers. Local and regional producers supply most of what’s served—an intentional decision that reduces food miles and supports nearby communities.
Farm to Feed, a regional supplier that connects farmers to markets, is a key partner in this journey. KOFISI’s kitchens source and prioritise rescue-grade produce — the misshapen, bruised or surplus fruits and vegetables overlooked by retailers. These ingredients are not only fresh and more affordable, they’re part of a new supply chain rooted in reinvention and Sustainability.
Wendy and her team have transformed this approach into an art form. Vegetable peels are turned into rich stocks. “Ugly” carrots star in the soup of the day. Onion skins and garlic ends lend depth to house-made seasonings.
The result? A kitchen operating at 90% sustainable, where nothing is wasted and everything has purpose.
“KOFISI has been one of our food rescue champions enabling us to off-take as much of farmers’ full harvest as possible – lessening the amount of fresh produce going to waste. We see KOFISI as a key ally in changing our food system to be less wasteful and more sustainable.” Zara Benosa, Co-founder, Farm to Feed.
But the impact doesn’t stop at what’s served. KOFISI has drastically reduced the use of single-use plastics, cutting out cling film, disposable cutlery and plastic containers in favour of biodegradable or reusable alternatives.
This shift is being implemented across all Centres and will be a cornerstone of new KOFISI restaurants opening across the continent. At the soon-to-launch flagship centre in Nairobi, KOFISI Kaskazi, these efforts will be elevated.
The new 90,000 sqft Centre will house two sustainability-focused restaurants -including one open to both Members and the public. KOFISI is introducing enhanced waste-sorting systems, a dedicated butcher section supporting a full nose-to-tail approach with full food waste composting enabled by improved collection infrastructure.
We have served close to 800,000 cups of local coffee since our inception in china mugs, significantly reducing disposable cup waste and lowering emissions linked to production, transport and disposal.
The outcome is both environmental and economic: estimated annual savings of Ksh 460,000 and a dramatically smaller footprint across KOFISI Centres. Everything that leaves the kitchen now offers more than nourishment. It reflects a commitment to something greater.
As Wendy puts it:
“Sustainability isn’t a trend — it’s a responsibility. I’m proud that KOFISI’s kitchens prove flavour, creativity and conscience can thrive together.”
From the first coffee of the morning to the final bite of an evening meal, KOFISI’s kitchens are leading a quiet sustainable revolution. In doing so, we remind everyone that how we feed ourselves is how we shape the world we work and live in.
This is sustainability not as a spectacle, but as a standard.
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