Jump to Journey: 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021– 2022 – 2023 – 2024- 2025 – 2026
Neighbourhood buying club at Spadina (May 8 2026)
We’re helping build something big in our neighbourhood — and we want you to know about it.
You already know us for turning brewery spent grain into sourdough that tells a story. What you might not know is that the Spadina corridor — Chinatown, Kensington Market, Queen West — has been quietly feeding Toronto with Ontario-grown food for over 70 years. The same family farms. The same independent vendors. Some of the lowest prices in the city. A real local food economy that most people walk past without realizing what they’re looking at.
We’ve partnered with the Canadian Centre for Food & Ecology (CCFE) and the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) on a proposal to the City of Toronto that would change that. The project — Flavour Harvest Spadina — would activate 20+ independent restaurants like Hawker across three BIA corridors through two seasonal campaigns, putting Ontario-grown hero ingredients (including our spent grain sourdough) on menus, in the hands of curious eaters, and into new habits that outlast the campaign itself.
But here’s what excites us most as a business that lives and breathes local supply chains: the infrastructure we’re building behind the campaign. You can already pre-order and pick up Spent Goods at CSI — and soon, that same spot will become a community food hub where you’ll find a rotating selection of genuinely seasonal food: think CSA-style farm drops, microgreens, salad leaves, and maybe even tilapia from Scadding Court’s urban aquaponics operation a few blocks away at 707 Dundas West. Think of it as a neighbourhood buying club, anchored at CSI, that makes sourcing local as easy as picking up your lunch.
We’ll have more details on pickup timing this summer — but if you’re planning to order from us before then, here’s something to keep in mind:
Speaking of lunch — if you’re not already at Meal Prep Mondays at CSI, you should be. Our friends at ZestyPlan run a bi-weekly plant-forward lunch and meal prep session where you prep together, eat together, and leave with extra portions and ingredients for the week ahead. Most ingredients are sourced through Graze and Gather from local farmers growing without pesticides. It’s the most practical way we know to build a local food habit that actually sticks. The program runs until August and you can join any time at mealprepmondays.zestyplan.com.
And if you’re a foodie who wants to go deeper, keep an eye on The Depanneur at CSI — one of Toronto’s most beloved culinary community spaces – will be be hosting campaign launch events and hands-on culinary workshops featuring the corridor’s best local ingredients.
Pre-order pickup /delivery notice: We’re taking a little time off. Our website at inside.spentgoods.ca will be unable to coordinate pre-orders from May 17th to June 3rd. If you’d like a loaf before the break, place your order now — otherwise, pre-orders will be back for early June delivery. Note that this doesn’t affect any standing wholesale arrangements, which will continue as usual.
On the subject of food and climate — we’re thrilled to share that on June 4th, we’ll be speaking at Arrell Food institute’s panel: Food: The Other Big Climate Lever as part of Toronto Climate Week. It’s exactly the conversation we think more people need to be part of. RSVP here, and if you’re there, please come say hello.
Spent Goods has always been about finding the value in what gets overlooked. Flavour Harvest Spadina is that same instinct, applied to a whole neighbourhood’s food system.
Good local food systems run on people who show up. If this resonates, pass it along to someone who’d love a neighbourhood buying club as much as we do.
Thank you.
Dihan & Spent Goods team.
We were all in Milan for a little while … (Feb 23 2026)
Nobody watched the Olympics thinking “I’m going to feel proud to be Canadian today.” They just followed athletes they were curious about — and pride showed up on its own.
And honestly? We needed it. February in Toronto is its own kind of endurance sport — the -20°C windchills, the snowbanks that have eaten our sidewalks, the relentless tariff headlines that make the future feel heavier than it should. For two weeks, Milan gave us somewhere else to put our attention. Something to follow that felt good.
Isn’t that what happens with local food too?
People don’t shop at our retailers or order from Spent Goods as a conscious act of nation-building. They do it because our food tastes better, the story behind it means something, the values feel right. And a stronger, more resilient local food community is quietly what grows from all of those individual choices.
The pride is the byproduct.
You don’t have to go to Milan to find it.
A couple of things worth knowing this week:
- New bundles, sized for your freezer — We know freezer space is precious, so we’ve built starter kits to fit how you actually live. Whether you have a drawer or a full shelf to spare, there’s a bundle for you.
- Browse the starter kits → Frozen after cooling to seal in freshness, defrosts in hours, and keeps for months
- New grocery partner: Indie Food — We’ve just joined the Indie Food family — an Ontario farm-to-door delivery platform with no subscriptions, no minimums, and free delivery over $100 . Order by 12PM Monday, delivered to your door by Friday alongside the best of Ontario’s local farms.
- If you’re already an Indie Food customer, you can now add Spent Goods to your weekly box!
- Support a fellow local — Saponetti needs us — Since 2016, Saponetti has been helping Torontonians cut plastic waste with Canadian-made soaps, cleaners, shampoos and more — all delivered in returnable glass jars via Toronto’s only 100% emission-free delivery service. They’re one of those quietly essential businesses that makes this city better, and right now they’re running a crowdfunding campaign to keep their doors open. If the idea of refilling your dish soap and laundry detergent instead of tossing another plastic jug sounds good to you — and it should — do consider visiting their store at 615c Brock Ave (just north of Bloor)
- Want a nudge to reorder? — Someone recently asked if we could send a gentle reminder when it’s time to re-order. Honestly, we loved the idea. Is that something you’d find useful too? Hit reply and let us know — if enough of you say yes, we’ll make it happen.
— Dihan
Managing Director, The Spent Goods Company
Jan 28 2026
The first Newsletter (Jan 6 2026) worked – dozens of you joined the crew by ordering pretzel bagels, twists, English muffins, pizzas, and sourdoughs. You suggested potential partners and left reviews. Our bakers have been happily busy rescuing grains and baking ever since.
Thank you for kicking off 2026 right.
Crew perk: Your taste feedback helps us improve
If you’ve already grabbed an order this January, you’re officially in the crew that brought these relaunched favourites back to life. We’re thrilled – but honest: the pretzels came out a touch over proofed in the first batches. Still delicious, but we want to nail it.
What did you think of the flavour and chew?
- Quick reply: Contact / DM us with one line on your favourite (or what to tweak).
- Public review: Share your take here → Google review link (takes 30 seconds) or share with a friend.
Your input shapes the next bake – and helps others discover us.
Smart repurposing: Bread bags → 4-packs
True to reducing waste, we’re now using those bread bags we made a smidge too small as perfect packaging for our new 4-packs. No landfill, just practical reuse for pretzels, bagels and muffins. Every order keeps that circular vibe going.
New pickup spots make it easy
Since the last update, we’ve added:
Pick your spot at checkout – no minimums, baked fresh for the next drop day. → Spent Goods Inside
Final nudge: Tell a friend (you both get 15% off)
Don’t let the crew have all the fun. Forward this to a friend who’d love bold-flavoured, rescued-grain breads – their first order gets 15% off with code (good for 10 days only until Feb 7 2026).
→ Looking for the code? Check your email as it’s exclusively available to our Newsletter subscribers:
Every order rescues more grains from landfill and keeps Toronto’s small-batch bakery scene alive. Thanks for being part of it.
Dihan & the Spent Goods crew.
P.S. → Don’t forget to Share with a friend!
Jan 6 2026
2025 tested us. You saved us. Here’s what happens next.
We’ve officially carbon offset the equivalent of driving 1.3 times around the Earth!
That’s 10.3 metric tons of eCO2 kept out of the atmosphere—51,500 kilometers, or roughly equal to taking 2 cars off the road for an entire year. Every loaf, pretzel, and pizza you’ve chosen has helped rescue brewery grains from landfill and cut methane emissions. This milestone belongs to you.
The truth about 2025
The last year brought changes we didn’t see coming. Rising costs hit everyone hard—including the small businesses and co-ops we partnered with. We said goodbye to Belle’s Bakery, Amsterdam Brewery, Karma Coop, and Courage Foods. That represented a 40% drop in sales from 2024.
At the same time, many of you have had to make tough choices at the grocery store. We get it. Premium, mission-driven food is a harder sell when budgets are tight.
Here’s what kept us going: Your direct orders. Your messages. Your belief that what we’re doing matters. Without you, Spent Goods wouldn’t be here today.
What’s back and better than ever
Because of your support, we’re kicking off 2026 with a soft launch of fan favorites:
Pretzel Bagels — Chewy, savory, perfect for breakfast sandwiches
Pretzel Twists — The snack that started it all
English Muffins — Nooks, crannies, and that signature tang
#plantbased
Plus all the staples you love – sourdoughs, baguettes, and fresh-on-demand pizzas.
You’re among the first to know. Pre-order by January 15, 2026 and save with code jan2026.
New pilot: Making it easier to get your bread
We heard you – Convenience is key. So we’re testing something new in 2026:
- No order minimums
- Free drop-offs at partner locations
Starting with:
- Centre for Social Innovation (CSI)
- Karma Co-op (exploring weekly drop-off options).
How it works: Place your pre-order, choose your drop-off location, and we’ll bake fresh and deliver on the scheduled day. Simple.
Know a workplace, café, community hub, or co-op that might host a Spent Goods drop-off? Let us know
the name and neighbourhood. If we add 3+ new locations by February, we’ll send you a thank-you loaf.
Two small ways you can help right now
We’re not going to sugarcoat it – 2026 will be another challenging year for small food businesses. But if you’ve valued having Spent Goods as part of your routine, here’s how you can help us keep baking.
1. Tell one friend (30 seconds)
Personal recommendations matter more than any ad we could run. If you have one friend who loves bold-flavoured sourdough, soft pretzels, or supporting local–forward them this page. That’s it.
Bonus: For every 5 friends you refer who place an order, we’ll add a free pretzel twist 4-pack to your next delivery.
2. Leave a quick review (1 minute)
We’re aiming for 50 new Google reviews by January 31—and we need your help to get there.
Current progress: 23/50 reviews
New customers check reviews before trying us. A short, honest review (even just a sentence!) makes a huge difference in helping people discover what we do.
→ Leave Your Review Here (takes 60 seconds)
Why this matters
Every time you choose Spent Goods, you’re voting for:
- Rescued ingredients that would have gone to landfill
- Lower emissions (that’s real climate action, one slice at a time)
- Local jobs in a food system that values sustainability over shortcuts
- A Toronto where small, mission-driven businesses can survive
This isn’t just about bread. It’s about the kind of community we want to build together.
Thank you for sticking with us
2025 was hard. But you showed up.
Whether you ordered once or every week, shared our story, or just sent an encouraging message—
you’re the reason we’re still here.
From all of us on The Spent Goods Team (yes, we read every message): Thank you. Let’s make 2026 even better.
With gratitude,
Dihan & The Spent Goods Team
P.S. Don’t forget—pre-orders close January 15 for the soft launch batch. Use code jan2026 at checkout.
→ Order Now
Frequently Asked Questions
We rescue brewery grains from landfill and transform them into artisan sourdough, pretzels, and English muffins. By 2025, we offset 10.3 metric tons of eCO2—equivalent to taking 2 cars off the road for an entire year.
Pre-order online. No minimum order drop-offs at Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) and soon at Karma Co-op.
We’re relaunching pretzel bagels (4pk), pretzel twists (4pk), and English muffins (4pk), plus all our sourdoughs, baguettes, and fresh pizzas
Jump to Journey: 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021– 2022 – 2023 – 2024– 2025– 2026