waste not… JosephJoseph 10% discount treat

… occasionally I receive offers to review products on Belleau Kitchen and more often than not, if they’re not recipe-friendly then I tend to turn them down.  It feels disingenuous of me to accept something that i’m either not going to use or use once and then let it languish in the back of the cupboard… plus I’m a bit of an old curmudgeon when it comes to change.  Even though I like to think I lead a bohemian lifestyle, I actually like things to be ‘just so’ in my kitchen and it’s taken me a while to get everything how I like it so no, your multi-speed, steaming, fatless fryer come tumble dryer just doesn’t have a place here… and don’t get me started on digital applications.  If I get a request to review or join one more ‘food app that will change my life’ I will scream.  I won’t use it.  I don’t use it.  As a food lover I like to go and buy my own food and choose it, see where it’s come from, be inspired by what I can see other people buying.  Food is a visceral experience… so when I received a request to review an item from the new JosephJoseph range I was a little reluctant.  I like the brand.  It has a creative aesthetic that I really like – even if it’s not particularly ‘Belleau Kitchen’ and their approach to the practical everyday kitchen items is inspiring… but as always I don’t actually need anything in my kitchen and I wasn’t going to ask for something that just looked good, until I saw the IntelligentWaste Totem system.

Now there will be many of you out there who have modern kitchens with snazzy, in-built waste systems, hidden from view, just as they should be… but for those of us who have chosen a different, more eclectic look in our kitchens, finding the right waste vestibule can be tricky to say the least.  Whatever system you go for, it’s probably the most used item in the kitchen and basically sits there at the end of the counter, or next to the oven, like a drunk child with dribble down its front belching the odd offensive odour at random moments throughout the day.  We’ve had all kinds of systems here in the cottage, from the retro metal dustbin to the tall, slender bucket.  We’re also very keen on recycling here in Belleau so this means two, if not three bins if we include food waste, peelings and the like.

The Totem is the best hybrid in invisible design (when it sits next to our off-white kitchen wall it virtually disappears) and practical design.  It has a massive 50 litre large waste facility (there is a Totem 60 but it’s just the two of us here…) and can be divided into a number of sections depending on your waste needs.  We use the top-loading large space as a general waste bin for all those things that can’t be recycled or re-used.  This top bin comes with a smaller bin that fits within it and has a lid so can be used for your peelings and food waste.  The pop-up lid of this area also has a clever odour-reducer devise which is brilliant.  There is also a bottom drawer space that slides out on wheels that we use for the recycling such as paper, cardboard, foil and tins.  It’s all amazingly light and easy to use and I am genuinely so happy with it that we’re going to get one for the London flat too.

With Christmas coming up – a time when there’s a lot of food waste and a ton of paper and card to be recycled this could be a great gift for those in your life who have a conscience… and the good people at JosephJoseph have given me a special 10% discount code to offer to all Belleau Kitchen readers, which is BELLEAU10

despose and of course, enjoy!