When Leftovers Become New Favourites, Food Waste Gets a New Life on Djurgården

Can mashed potatoes become delicious potato cakes? Can herb stems and leaves be turned into pesto? And what can you do with bread that is left over? On Royal Djurgården, there are plenty of answers. On 29 September, International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, several of Djurgården’s restaurants will highlight how ingredients that might otherwise end up as food waste can be given a new lease of life. The menus will feature creative dishes, ideas and tips for reducing food waste, along with plenty of inspiration to take home.

From leftovers to something delicious

Making the most of food doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be as simple as a few small ideas that make a big difference.

Mashed potatoes can become potato cakes. Herb stems and leaves can be blended into pesto. Vegetable peels can be turned into crispy pangrattato. Leftover fish can become fish-based Wallenbergare, while leftover buns can be transformed into new cakes and desserts.

These are just some of the ideas featured in Mathjältar tillsammans! – Recept, tips och tankar om matsvinn (Food Heroes Together! – Recipes, Tips and Thoughts on Food Waste), a new booklet in which Djurgården’s restaurant kitchens share some of their best ideas for making the most of every ingredient.

On 29 September, guests at several of Djurgården’s restaurants will have the chance to taste and be inspired. Some will serve food waste-conscious dishes, while others will highlight smart ways of making the most of ingredients. And for those who want to continue the inspiration at home, the booklet is filled with recipes, practical tips and ideas straight from Djurgården’s restaurant kitchens.

Inspiration to take home

The hope is that some of this inspiration will travel home from Djurgården.

Perhaps it will be a recipe. A tip for what to do with something sitting at the back of the fridge. Or simply a new way of looking at that half onion, slice of bread or bunch of herbs that was left over.

Reducing food waste doesn’t always require big changes. Sometimes, a little imagination, some knowledge and a fresh perspective on what we already have is all it takes.

Djurgården’s food heroes

Djurgården is home to more than 30 restaurants and cafés, serving food every day to Stockholmers and visitors from around the world. Between 2024 and 2026, several of them have been working together as part of the Circular and Resource-Efficient project, with a focus on food waste and other ways to use resources more efficiently.

An important part of the work has been measuring and understanding what is being thrown away and why. The restaurants have had the opportunity to monitor and analyse their food waste, with support from tools provided by Generation Waste. Restaurants that have measured their food waste regularly have, on average, reduced it by up to 36 percent.

But perhaps just as important as the numbers is what happens between the kitchens. The restaurants share experiences, test ideas and learn from one another. Because when a good solution works in one kitchen, it can often inspire another.

Taste, get inspired and take an idea home

On 29 September, twelve businesses on Djurgården will take part by distributing Mathjältar tillsammans! and/or serving food waste-conscious dishes:

Backstage Hotel, Junibacken, Mackverket Vrak Café & Bar, Nordiska museet Restaurant, Restaurang Eld, Rosendals Trädgård, Sjöhistoriska Café & Bar, Skansen-Akvariet, Spritmuseum, Tekniska museet Restaurant, Vasamuseets Restaurant and Waldemarsudde – Prinsens kök.

So the next time you find yourself with leftovers in the fridge, think twice before throwing them away. They might just be the beginning of something delicious.

Read, get inspired and try it at home

The Mathjältar tillsammans! booklet is available in Swedish and English and will be distributed at the participating restaurants and at the Royal Djurgården Visitor Center. You can also download it here:

Mathjältar tillsammans! – booklet about food waste

A Taste of Sustainable Djurgården – a booklet about food waste

Read more about how Djurgården is reducing food waste