Meet Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good to Go, the app tackling food waste and now serving over 100 million users globally. In this interview, Jamie shares his journey, challenges, and vision for a world without food waste.

Jamie's career journey and advice

Could you tell us more about your career and the key turning points that have led you to where you are today?

My career has always been motivated by social and environmental impact. It’s been the driving force behind all the decisions I’ve made in my professional life. I started out studying law, specialising in human rights, and worked with various NGOs focusing on refugee and indigenous rights. Impact has always been the common thread. But the real turning point came when I stumbled into the issue of food waste while working in the events industry in Australia. It was a problem I’d subconsciously experienced before, but in that job, I became consciously aware of the sheer amount of food waste. That led me to create a website, and eventually, with my co-founders, we developed the Too Good to Go app. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Looking back at your 20-year-old self, what advice would you give?

The most important piece of advice would be to follow your passions. Passion is key because it’s integral to building resilience. When you’re passionate about something, it’s so much easier to keep going, even when things get tough. That’s something we definitely experienced when we started Too Good to Go – there were lots of ups, but also plenty of downs. Passion gives you the perseverance to keep finding solutions and pushing forward.

Crafting a Purpose-Driven Brand

Attend Jamie Crummie's Presentation This September

For marketers, eCommerce experts, and sustainability advocates that want to understand the nuances of building a purpose-driven brand.

Join us for an enlightening session with the co-founder of Too Good To Go, as we delve into the strategies behind creating a compelling customer experience while driving a mission-oriented brand.

Register to attend   Add it to your calendar

Was Too Good to Go your first entrepreneurial venture? What’s a challenge you didn’t anticipate, and how did you tackle it?

Yes, Too Good to Go was my first entrepreneurial project. One of the biggest challenges we didn’t see coming was COVID-19. It hit us hard because it affected our team, our partners, and our business model. With lockdowns, many of our partners had to close, and that disrupted our ability to connect people with surplus food. We had to innovate quickly, and that’s when we started working with businesses further down the supply chain, like manufacturers. This actually led to the development of our Too Good to Go Parcels business. It wasn’t easy, but that challenge allowed us to explore new areas and continue to innovate.

How do you measure the impact of your purpose-driven initiatives, both in terms of the environment and your business performance?

Our North Star metric is meals saved. The more meals we save, the better we perform as a business, and the greater the environmental impact we have. What makes Too Good to Go quite unique is that there’s a direct correlation between our business success and the positive impact we have on the environment. The more meals we rescue, the better it is for the planet – it’s a one-for-one relationship.

What advice would you give to brands looking to transition towards a more purpose-driven approach without alienating their existing customer base?

I believe businesses can and should be used as a force for positive change. Even if your purpose isn’t directly tied to solving climate change, you can still run your business in a way that aligns with social and environmental impact. It could be how you engage with your suppliers or how you treat your team – there are so many ways to integrate purpose. And there’s no time like the present to start. Transparency is key. If businesses can communicate their journey effectively, they can break down barriers and show leadership in this space.

What role does social media play in Too Good to Go’s strategy?

Social media plays a huge role for us because it’s a way to engage with our community. We want to inspire as many people as possible to fight food waste together. Whether it’s TikTok videos or Instagram posts, it’s a great way to share tips on reducing food waste and for our community to connect with each other. One of the best things I’ve seen is how people have organically created Too Good to Go groups in different cities, where they share what they’ve rescued and exchange recipe ideas. It’s really inspiring to see that level of engagement.

With the growing popularity of Too Good to Go, how do you ensure that restaurants aren’t incentivised to produce more food waste?

That’s a really important point. Too Good to Go is a solution for food waste, but we’re not here to encourage businesses to overproduce. Our platform acts as a safety net, not a way for businesses to generate extra income. Our business model is built to prevent overproduction, and it wouldn’t make financial sense for our partners to produce more food just to use Too Good to Go. It’s about recovering costs, not generating additional revenue.

Have you faced any particular challenges when expanding Too Good to Go into new markets?

We’re now live in 19 markets across three continents, and it’s been really exciting to see how Too Good to Go is adopted in different places. Of course, there are cultural nuances. For example, in France, we work with a lot of independent boulangeries, whereas in the UK, we tend to partner more with chain restaurants. But the issue of food waste is universal, and what’s great about Too Good to Go is that it’s flexible enough to adapt to different types of businesses. The way it’s adopted might be different, but the impact is the same.

Quick Fire Round

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve as a customer?
Jamie: Bad service. I really appreciate good customer service, so anything less than that can be a bit frustrating.

Q: What’s your favourite social media platform?
Jamie: LinkedIn.

Q: Do you personally use Too Good to Go to pick up baskets?
Jamie: Absolutely!

Q: What’s your favourite song right now?
Jamie: Half the World Away by Oasis. I’m excited about their reunion!

Q: Who inspires you on social media?
Jamie: Simon Sinek. I find his content really thought-provoking.

Q: What’s your proudest moment in your career so far?
Jamie: It’s hard to choose just one moment. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Too Good to Go. But personally, having the opportunity to discuss food waste with President Barack Obama and the British Prime Minister are definitely career highlights for me.

Q: What’s something you’re still looking forward to achieving in your career?
Jamie: The ultimate goal is to end food waste. I know it’s ambitious and probably won’t happen in my lifetime, but it’s what drives me every day.