Adam Smith is the founder and non-executive director of Surplus To Purpose, SToP, a revolutionary catering enterprise. Surplus to Purpose utilises food destined for waste, by safely redistributing this through cooked meals, products and provisions to families. It focuses on the environmental issues of food waste, which measures its impact on climate change within the food industry. SToP in association with Thomas Franks have diverted many tons of surplus food into the bellies of children - providing nutritionally dense, quality meals made from waste! They have links with schools to receive food through this collaboration, feeding thousands of children and stopping so much food from being wasted.
Adam Smith also founded the visionary, multi-award-winning, global initiative: The Real Junk Food Project (TRJFP). Set up in December 2013, to revolutionise the disposal of avoidable food waste into landfill, the pioneering movement's manifesto is to: feed bellies, not bins. In 2025 Adam became Founding Director at Rage Against the Ice Cream, creating the world’s greatest ice-cream from waste bananas. Adam also became a Founding Director of Talking Peacocks! A mental health initiative in 2025.
A professional chef for over ten years, Adam has held a wealth of head chef positions, internationally. Whilst in Australia, Adam witnessed the scale of food waste, agriculturally and within the catering industry. Upon his return to the UK, he was inspired to set up TRJFP.
Adam has received numerous plaudits and awards from organisations ranging from NESTA to The Observer. He was voted one of the forty most influential men in the world by AskMen. In addition The Telegraph voted Adam as one of the 50th most influential people in UK Food & Drink – Food & Drink Power List. Adam was honoured with an Unsung Hero award presented by the Canal & River Trust in 2022.The award celebrates those who have made a positive impact in their community. Adam has also featured on C4’s Inside the Superbrands with Helen Skelton, where she highlighted the importance of the work at Surplus to Purpose. Adam received the prestigious Community Hero Award at the Yorkshire Awards 2025.
Adam is currently writing a book. His alias is Mr Junk Food Chef and he has been a featured speaker on a truly memorable TedX talk as well as numerous other educational and corporate events. His story is utterly inspiring.
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