Janene Draper is the co-founder of the successful Farro chain of fresh food markets. She recently co-founded Waste-Not Kitchen with her sister Leysa Ross which is on a zero food waste mission by repurposing good surplus meat to make soups to nourish those in need. The soups are sold on a 1 + 1 basis, One for you and one for the community. How good is that?
7 AM
My day tends to start with the sunrise. I have to say I do like a sleep-in but I’m usually gently woken by my husband, James, with breakfast in bed. Yes, I am one lucky lady. I married my childhood sweetheart over 30 years ago and breakfast is his thing. He’s the first to admit his cooking repertoire isn’t that big, but when it comes to breakfast, he nails it! I use this time to catch up on the news, go through my emails and prioritise my days activities.
Janene on the Left her sister Leysa8:30 AM
Catch up with my sister Leysa over a coffee, going over Waste-Not Kitchen Charity requirements. Being a new charity is similar to any start up business, there are always 1,001 things to do. Anything from how much surplus meat we can use to make soups this week to how we are raising funds to making more soup, online orders, logistics, marketing, or liaising with key sponsors.
9:30 AM
Prep and do a video shoot with the marketing team at Farro. This generally takes 3-4 hours and we finish off by sitting down and lunching together on what we have made.
2 PM
Meeting at Farro head office on potential new products to stock in Farro. This is one of my favourite roles, tasting and discussing new products entering the marketplace. Farro has helped launch and kick start over 550 new businesses into the New Zealand market place. Before leaving I will do a quick shop for that night’s dinner.
3:30 PM
I settle down and peruse cook books, magazines and the internet for recipe inspiration and food trends, then write up tentative recipe ideas for my next Farro video shoot. Do my last emails for the day and make a Farro food shopping list for the following day.
4:30 PM
I take Marko, our dog, for a walk up Mt Hobson, and enjoy the vista of our gorgeous city. Walking is a time that I find I am, often most creative. It’s a great time to problem solve. Upon returning from the walk, if I’m feeling virtuous, which I have to say is certainly not often enough, I follow up with a 20-minute YouTube spin class on my stationary bike and end off with a stretch.
7 PM
Dinner. My favourite time of day. Sitting round the table with friends and family sharing the events of the day over good food and a good vino.
