Photo | Assortment
Meet The Maker | Assortment
Interviewed By Sarah Norris
Assortment began as a journey between two best friends on a mission to bring sustainability into your kitchen. We had a chat to founders Laura and Nikki about what ignited their spark for Assortment and why sustainability is an important part of their work. Opening up the floor to a new way of cooking. Each recipe, curated for the home cook, comes with options to interchange seasonal ingredients and tips which highlight a ‘no-waste’ ethos. No eggplant? No worries. Roasted carrots with charred chickpeas works just as well (If not better)
So tell us a bit about yourselves? Who are the voices behind Assortment?
Hello! We’re Nikki and Laura, nearly clocking up 20 years of friendship and now business partners. We both love cooking and unashamedly orientate our days around our meals. The kitchen is our happy place - it's a chance to mindfully unwind from the day or sometimes it's a chance to have a glass of wine, put some music on (as corny as that sounds) and share the cooking experience and then, of course there's the satisfaction of sitting down and enjoying the meal with friends and family!
Can you give us some insight into what Assortment is and where the idea came from?
Assortment is an online platform and here to make eating well simple, providing seasonal, sustainable, and delicious recipes (well we think so!). We noticed there seems to be some pain points for people when it comes to cooking; deciding what to cook, finding the time, having the skill set, and even the enjoyment element. We decided instead of just providing recipes, Assortment can be a platform to help educate and give people new skills and knowledge to ultimately give them more confidence in the kitchen. Aside from getting people to enjoy their time in the kitchen we also want to help reduce food waste. From the leftover dinners to the half cabbage, you're not sure what to do with, Assortment will help give you the tools to make something delicious with it rather than it ending up in the trash. We have something in the pipeline that we hope will help with all of this and we cannot wait to share!
What's a typical start to finish recipe look like? Lots of trial and error?
Coming up with a recipe or idea for a meal stems from several things, what's in season or on special at the supermarket, what's left in the fridge or cupboard that needs to be used, maybe something yum we saw on Instagram or even the weather. If it passes the initial test - of our family and friends, then we will refine it. Once the recipe has been approved, we will cook it again, making sure it's ready to share.
I've had a look at the recipes on the site and the layout and execution of each recipe is fresh and innovative. Especially the 'variations' and 'tips' section. It's a great way to ensure food waste is minimised. Was including these an important part how you wanted Assortment to come together?
Yes! This comes back to our mission to educate the cook.
Variations - recipes often ask for things that may not be available at your local store, in-season or maybe you just don’t like that ingredient. That's where the variations come in handy, we also hope it helps people to have a play with mix and matching elements of recipes with other things they know and love.
Tips - we have both been cooking for years and have acquired many tips and tricks along the way to save time, money, mess or achieving the crispiest potato - so why not share them!
Serving suggestions - are there to guide you, giving you suggestions of what will go with this specific recipe to complete your meal or optional additions to upgrade the meal even further. This gives the cook a bit more freedom, making up their mind based on personal preference or maybe what's already in the fridge.
“We noticed there seems to be some pain points for people when it comes to cooking; deciding what to cook, finding the time, having the skill set, and even the enjoyment element. We decided instead of just providing recipes, Assortment can be a platform to help educate and give people new skills and knowledge to ultimately give them more confidence in the kitchen. ”
