Cero is the hassle free solution to zero waste
We caught up with Sophie Telford from Cero to discuss their online zero waste store.
Convenience and sustainability don’t always go hand in hand. Often the option that’s better for the environment can be more laborious, even if we know it’s the right thing to do. For this reason, it was a welcome surprise to come across Cero, the online zero waste store. We spoke to founder Sophie Telford to hear more about the brand, what inspired her to get started and the ethos behind their work.
Image: Sophie Telford
Cero, is a family-run business working to deliver sustainable supplies straight to our homes across the UK. The online shop came into existence following a trip to Chile, where the agricultural and subsistence lifestyle left Sophie hungry to cut down waste in her consumption, before feeling motivated to form this passion into a business of her own. The site hosts a range of carefully-selected, dried produce from cupboard essentials such as pulses, beans and pastas to sweet treats, crisps and dried fruits – the origins of which often not straying too far from Cero’s Yorkshire base.
Sophie highlights her central focus in choosing the product range: ‘We really try to stay local’. She explains that although Cero deliver to customers across the UK, it’s so important for them to support their local business as well as being mindful of the stories behind the products. In addition to dried foods, Cero stocks several branded items including Yorkshire Pasta and Two Farmers Crisps; the former from wheat milled locally, the latter a company committed to 100% compostable packaging. “You can simply fill your empty crisp packet with soil and pop it in the ground and it will completely decompose!” she explains excitedly, it’s easy to sense Sophie’s passion for detail and sustainability.
Image: Ellie Weston
I was lucky enough to receive a selection of their products including pulses, dried spices and their Yorkshire Pasta. The packaging upon arrival was true to form – minimal, thoughtful and of course recyclable! Sophie explains that she and her team prepare each order as they come in, weighing-out by hand the quantities requested for each custom order and lovingly writing hand-written brown-paper labels for each item.
As it’s officially autumn and the weather’s beginning to turn, I decided to cook up a warming, spicy chickpea pasta with my Cero haul. This simple dish is full of iron and protein, with a great heat from the Country Products’ dried crushed chillies.
For the sauce simply fry off an onion and garlic in olive oil before adding the chickpeas, dried chilli, mixed herbs, seasoning and stirring through fresh spinach. In meantime, roast a few handfuls of well-seasoned plum tomatoes in olive oil. Pour a few tablespoons of the juice from the tomatoes from into the sauce. Boil your Yorkshire Pasta for 9 minutes (or, until al dente) and stir your sauce through, spooning the roasted tomatoes on top and finishing with some shavings of Pecorino.
Image: Cero
It’s worth noting, I am now a convert to dried pulses. Whilst the allure of ready to use tinned chickpeas is high, you unquestionably get so much more for your money with dried – simply soak in cold water for a couple of hours and boil for 30 mins (I often put a couple of cloves and half an onion in the pan to enhance the flavour too). For as little as 45p from Cero, I had plentiful chickpeas for two servings of this dish, so as well as sustainable, it’s not going to break the bank.
If zero waste shopping is high on your agenda but you’re challenged in terms of getting to a store, I highly recommend checking out Cero for a hassle-free solution.
Click here to find out more and shop.
Words by Ellie Weston
