Nature in Mind | The Ellen MacArthur Foundation

NATURE IN MIND

THE BIG FOOD REDESIGN CHALLENGE

NATURE IN MIND

The Big Food Redesign Challenge

Read Time 5 minutes

2025

Read Time 5 minutes | 2025

A Note: The Big Food Redesign Challenge has now finished.

In 2005, Ellen MacArthur became the fastest solo sailor to sail around the world. Spending 71 days at sea with limited food and supplies, Ellen gained valuable insight into the way the world works. She realised that the way we live was similar to her voyage, where we rely on the finite resources we extract. This thinking inspired her to create The Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The Foundation is an international charity that champions the transition to a circular economy – a system designed to eliminate waste, circulate products and materials and regenerate nature. The Big Food Redesign Challenge was an ambitious 18-month project launched by the Foundation, that brought together producers, retailers, start-ups and suppliers to create food products that work in harmony with nature.

The products from the challenge have been designed using circular economy principles that help to regenerate nature, which includes using ingredients that are upcycled, diverse and/or lower impact, and packaging that is reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

By giving consideration to nature when selecting the ingredients they use and how those ingredients are produced, food producers are taking steps towards improving the environmental impact of their products.*

*Based on an average environmental impact score across the group of products created as part of the Big Food Redesign Challenge compared to the food industry average. Individual product impact varies. Excludes packaging and transport. For more information see nature in mind.

The ‘Nature in mind’ logo, a symbol of love for nature, identifies food and drink products that successfully made it through the Challenge.

The design of the Nature in mind logo combines abstract insect wings and petal shapes encircling a heart to form a flower motif, an emblem that reflects the togetherness of people, food and nature.

Celebrating food products made to help nature thrive, Nature in mind is about empowering customers to make choices that positively impact the environment, while inspiring producers to prioritise nature in their products. Essentially, it strives to make doing good for the planet effortless.

At Fortnum’s, sustainability is at the heart of all our decision making, and The Big Food Redesign Challenge is aligned with our belief that ‘everything we do must be designed with circularity at the forefront’. During this project, we meticulously identified products that excited and impressed us with their credentials, and we’re thrilled to introduce you to them - including our very own Amalthea Gin.

Find out more about the Nature in mind.

Our work with The Ellen McArthur Foundation features in their latest podcast on 'The Circular Economy Show' as Senior Buyer, Helly McAlister, shares her experience and insight on the role of retail in future proofing our food system. Watch the poscast episode here.