[00:00:00] Wendy: [00:00:00] Hello everybody. And welcome to the evolve.ag podcast. My guest today is Valeria Alvarez, the founder of Peel soft serve. Peel soft serve is a Miami-based frozen treat company that makes vegan soft serve out of coconut milk and rescued fruits like bananas and other tropical treasures that are too ripe to be sold at the grocery store.
Thanks so much for joining me on the podcast today. Valeria, can you introduce yourself and talk a little bit about your background?
Valeria: [00:00:25] Of course, thanks to you, Wendy, for having me today. I'm Valeria and I am the founder of Peel Soft Serve. I currently reside, here in Miami, Florida, where I've lived for the majority of my life, but originally I'm from Colombia in South America. I grew up having many interests, which I still do, and I've been lucky enough to explore them.
I've worked in tech, I've worked in education and recently food and sustainability, or for the last couple of years, I've built a concept around repurposing fruit, into really creamy, soft serve.
Wendy: [00:00:56] That's really exciting. And do you want to talk a little bit more about what is [00:01:00] Peel Soft Serve?
Valeria: [00:01:01] Yeah, absolutely. So Peel is a vegan soft-serve company here in Miami, Florida that uses two ingredients. We use a hundred percent rescued, bananas and coconut milk. That basically means that there's no added sugar in our products since bananas act as natural sweeteners already. And we use the same base in our bowls.
 And we also have a number of toppings to choose from everything from like fresh mangoes, pineapples, strawberries, house granola. We do have a house peanut butter, and we try to locally source our honey from Homestead. Also if a fruit's in season, then we'll definitely add that as our options for the week.
Wendy: [00:01:33] That sounds delicious. What inspired you to start Peel Soft Serve?
Valeria: [00:01:37] Throughout my early twenties, I was traveling all over the world and I consider myself a pretty healthy person. You know, I enjoy waking up early and eating healthy. So back in 2016 , um, I took a trip uh, to Indonesia, where I became really inspired by the culture around healthy food and sustainable eating; , um, everything was grown locally, made fresh.
Everything was really organic. And it really reminded me a lot of when I was growing up in Colombia, where [00:02:00] there were, you know, vendors selling ripe mangoes in these small bags with like salt and lime after school, which were so delicious. So when I came back to Miami after the trip , um, I couldn't really quite find that same experience.
And I decided to create something similar. So that's basically where I began my research on doing a very similar concept that I had seen in other places of the world. And that's where Peel began.

Wendy: [00:02:22] That's really cool. Um, Can you tell me your philosophy around food waste?
Since it sounds like most of the fruit that you guys are using is really upcycling with stuff that couldn't be sold otherwise at the grocery store.
Valeria: [00:02:34] Yeah. So, you know , uh, food waste is such a big subject. Um, and I'm no expert in the field, but you know, I do believe that we, as individuals can transform the way we incorporate food in our everyday lives, by either bettering our habits and obviously having this continuous education. And really learning about the effects that food waste has on us and on our planet.
Um, You know, there are over 800 million people who are chronically [00:03:00] undernourished and close to a hundred million children under the age of five who are underweight currently. Yet we produce enough food to feed , um, over 10 billion people a year. So you see the food is there, but the issue relies on how to properly distribute it.
So to do our part, we have to set examples for others and transform the way we think about food in our everyday lives. Basically simple tasks like planning your grocery list ahead. So you don't have to purchase more than what is needed. Also making sure you serve smaller amounts of food on your plate every day really helps.
And then also buying perfectly edible, but not perfectly looking foods are also other ways that we as individuals can reduce food waste.
Wendy: [00:03:38] When you go to source the fruits that you use for Peel, . are there certain standards that must be met in order for you to be able to use them?
Valeria: [00:03:48] You know , um, ever since we started Peel , um, we've been very fortunate that we've gotten to know a lot of vendors here locally in South Florida. As long as , um, the fruit that we get every [00:04:00] week is perfectly edible and not rotten. We'll buy it. You know, the browner the better , um, as you know, the brownerthe banana gets the more sweetner it basically has. So we're not really picky as to the kind of food that we bring just as long as it's edible and not rotten.
That sounds great. Yeah, the browner, it gets the sweeter. It gets. Everybody listening definitely be saving those brown bananas that you have at home and, you know, you can always use them as smoothie or something like that. I'm curious about what that process actually looks like when you go to source the bananas, are there a lot of other fruits and vegetables there?
Wendy: [00:04:31] What does that whole kind of behind the scenes production process look like of sourcing the bananas?
Valeria: [00:04:36] Yeah. So let me give you a little bit of history on bananas. Bananas are one of the most important crops in the world. They're actually number one, consume fruit in the world, but they're also the number one wasted fruit in the world. Um, They contain a lot of vitamin C, a lot of vitamin B,  potassium and other minerals that are really beneficial to our health.
Um, And they also provide around 400 million people [00:05:00] in the world , uh, in some of the poorest places up to one quarter of their daily calories. So, you know, as you can tell, like there, you know, everybody basically eats them. Um, They're also, you know, however, extremely perishable on average. , uh, They may take up to about two or three weeks from the moment they were cut down from the farms to the moment they get to the consumer.
So it's during this process that supply chain can get really troublesome. Um, They usually go through this four step process. And by the time they get to the retailers, sometimes they're too ripe and cannot be sold. So what we do is when we go to these food markets. , um, These markets already have basically a split on which bananas can be sold to their retailers and which cannot.
So if one of those purchases that cannot be sold to the retailers because they're too ripe, because then they go to waste. Those are the ones that we usually take. So we usually take the ones that will never go to the suppliers, but if nobody else buys them, then they'll get thrown out. But they're perfectly edible.
So those are the ones that I would choose.
Wendy: [00:05:55] And do these folks charge you to taking them for taking the bananas?
Valeria: [00:05:59] Yeah, [00:06:00] absolutely. I mean, they bought them at a specific price. And if, you know, because of demand, if some people don't need the bananas or they're too ripe to be taken to the stores, they're losing their own money. So we obviously pay them to purchase these what they're called secondhand bananas.
Wendy: [00:06:16] And about how much food waste are you upcycling every week and turning into peel soft serve.
Valeria: [00:06:22] Yeah. So we opened permanently on the weekends back in July, 2020. Um, And during the six months between July and December, we upcycled around 1500 pounds of bananas. And we're basically just getting started, you know, currently we're picking up several boxes a week. Yeah. From these food vendors and our people are starting to hear about our initiative, then we're really doubling our output.
Um, So some days it really depends like , uh, since we're only open on the weekends, sometimes we have to buy more boxes than the week prior. And sometimes we definitely sell out
Wendy: [00:06:52] Wow. That's really exciting. 1500 pounds. That's amazing.
Valeria: [00:06:57] Yeah. In six months.
Wendy: [00:06:59] And do you have to go to [00:07:00] different places to pick these up or is it all kind of one centralized location where you can go and get them?
Valeria: [00:07:06] Allapattah is this one particular place in Miami that has a big market for local fruit. Um, And that's basically where we pick up our bananas every week. We try not to, you know, go to local supermarkets because we obviously want to buy these bananas that would otherwise go to waste. So we basically just focus it on this specific place.
Wendy: [00:07:27] That makes a lot of sense.
I'm curious, what do you see as some of the ways to solve the larger issues of food waste in the US , you gave a couple of tips, but are there any other, like, philosophical changes that you think need to happen or political changes?
Valeria: [00:07:41] Yeah, so , um, I think there's really two important factors here, Wendy. One of them is in the supply chain and the other one is in the way that Americans perceive food. Um, With supply chain, you know, we're looking at more than 1 billion metric, tons of food wasted every year, which is about one third of the food we produce.
So vegetables, [00:08:00] fruits, dairy, and even meat need to be handled carefully. So they avoid being perishable. And these need to be shielded from factors such as temperature and moisture extreme, you know, a more efficient supply chain will lower costs to consumers and reduce waste in the long run. And then the second important factor is American's perception of food.
In a developed country like America, we have a problem of overbuying and then rejecting perfectly nutritious food that is cosmetically imperfect. When you go to places like Southeast Asia or Latin America, where I'm from the grocery stores are filled with tons of blemished, yet perfectly edible foods. Um, It really wasn't until I moved to North America, that I began to notice that every supermarket has had these perfectly looking aisles of fresh fruit and that people only buy the ones that are aesthetically perfect. So it's subtly kind of shifting that , um, mindset of not just purchasing these foods are just looking on the outside, but also really getting people to buy any food that is out there and available.
Wendy: [00:08:55] That makes sense. And I think we're starting to see that a little bit with companies like Imperfect [00:09:00] Foods, really, you know, making a mark and coming online and seeing a lot of popularity. I think COVID also helped that a little bit too. Just it really, people became more aware of the supply chain. When you say a more efficient supply chain, does that mean like, growing local people consuming things local, or are there any other ideas that you have for how that could be more efficient?
Valeria: [00:09:19] Yeah, so I think , um, definitely COVID has brought up the, you know, the concept of buying more local or supporting local and purchasing , um, as much food as you can that do not, you know, it's not from places like, you know, the other side of the country. Um, And so being really mindful of where your food is coming from, and really just focusing on purchasing things from , um, you know, small farmer's markets, I think is really important.
Um, You know, supply chain overall is something that's basically out of the customer's control in a big way. But I think that by us being able to make these small changes in our everyday habits , um, you know, will help really reduce the food waste.
Wendy: [00:09:58] Wonderful. Yeah, I totally agree. [00:10:00] And if anything, farmer's markets are a great place to start and I think vertical farms have that potential too, and they become a little bit more efficient. So we'll see what the future holds.
When did you start feel soft serve.
Valeria: [00:10:11] So , uh, Peel actually started in a farmer's market called Legion park. Back in June, 2019 on the weekends. Um, We also were doing small events around that time and it wasn't really until November, 2019, where we started seeing the real potential with the business. So we purchased our trailer towards the end of that year.
And then around January 20 , uh, 2020, we continued doing events , uh, until obviously the city could shut down completely in March. So between March and July 20th, we had a hold on our business. Um, And then I really decided to pull the trigger last July and practice social distance with our customers. Uh, But what's really great about our product is that it's basically a grab and go though, you know , um, it's been very, it's been going like really, really solid.
We're very lucky to have partner up with like, you know, some local businesses and hopefully as this year continues and it's safer for everybody outdoors, then we'll have more community driven [00:11:00] initiatives to share a product.
Wendy: [00:11:00] That's great. And did COVID bring any unexpected upsides to your business?
Valeria: [00:11:04] Um, You know, it's, it's interesting people like to go , um, People, I guess we're missing that sense of collaboration or just kind of like talk, talking to people face to face. So we definitely have had a lot of people come into , um, where we are and we will pop up every weekend. And , um, you know, just the kind of conversation flows about how, you know, our story began, what we do, what our purpose is.
So I think that's definitely one of the upsides is that people just don't come and buy soft serve or people come and really hear the story. And they just know what's like going behind the scenes of peel soft serve.
Wendy: [00:11:35] So there's a bit of a movement in Miami right now with food trucks and using otherwise unused spaces like parking lots and whatnot for food specific industries. For example, Reef is setting up neighborhood ghost kitchens. Over here at Haulover park there's a food truck night on Tuesdays. How has this movement have benefited your company here in South Florida? 
Valeria: [00:11:55] Yeah, 
um, The idea to use under utilized spaces into neighborhood hubs is a [00:12:00] great concept. Um, That way people can really connect locally to services, which will subsequently reduce the supply chain. Um, I'm also really aware of the food truck night happening over at Haulover, which is also a great initiative for the community.
Um, I think they've actually been doing this for a while. Um, and it's really great to see, you know, food truck businesses are developing these great food concepts. That would normally be only found in restaurants. I think another thing that COVID taught us is that people want to eat outside. So the quality of food from food trucks that's completely increased over the years.
And the idea that, you know, the pandemic took for people to be forced to eat outdoors has given a new light to food trucks.
 Wendy: [00:12:37] It's really amazing to see the creativity that's been sparked, and I think food trucks are definitely a big part of that. 
 Are there any other companies in Miami that you're collaborating with at the moment?
Valeria: [00:12:47] Um, Because we just started , um, we have had different companies come up to us for some sort of collaboration. We've definitely collaborated with a coffee company called Vice City Bean here in South Florida , uh, where we've used some of their cold brew [00:13:00] into our soft serve. Um, We've actually also , um, you know, teamed up with other companies, but not so much around the food waste sector.
We're definitely looking forward to either , um really getting these partnerships going or obviously getting more in touch with other institutions such as universities.
Wendy: [00:13:16] Right on. Yeah. I'm wondering, have you all thought about partnering with somebody who could then compost, like the banana peels that you all are using and like the other kind of food waste that's inedible but I'm sure that inevitably happens.
Valeria: [00:13:28] Yeah, of course. I mean, there are some really great programs here in Miami. Um, There's one that we usually go to every week to compost. So we basically compost everything that we have at Peel everything from the bananas to the tips of the strawberries , um, the mango peels, also the pineapple peels, and we take them to , um, Earth In Us, which is really great , um, collaborative space in little river.
We also , um, compost sometimes with Garbage To Gold, which is another company that , uh, basically they take our compost and they , uh, educate , uh, people who live in apartment buildings [00:14:00] basically to compost themselves. So we definitely team up with as many people as we can in order to bring our compost.
Wendy: [00:14:05] Oh, that's really cool. I'll have to check out those two companies. 
Where in Miami, can we find Peel soft serve? 
Valeria: [00:14:11] Peel currently 
operates out of a trailer on the weekends. Only at the moment we pop up at , uh, 1614 Northeast court on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Um, It's basically in front of a gym called Elevation Fitness, which have been great to us since this whole COVID pandemic started.
Um, And we also have smaller events with our apiaggio, which is this really cool 1988 Italian scooter that , uh, we basically recreated the back to serve as a food truck. Um, But the best bet is to definitely check out our site www.peelsoftserve.com/locations to find out where we are.
Wendy: [00:14:47] Oh, great. And are you on Instagram and the other social media spots too.
Valeria: [00:14:52] Yeah, absolutely. So , uh, Instagram is definitely our, our biggest handle , uh, where it's basically where we pop up every , um, you know, every initiative that we're [00:15:00] doing or any new collab or a new, new flavor that we're bringing out.
Wendy: [00:15:03] What is your favorite flavor that you all make?
 Valeria: [00:15:05] That's tough. Um, you know, our regular Onanana is probably a crowd favorite, just it's it's so good. Just having the regular banana with coconut blend. Um, Well we just recently last week , um, came out with passion fruit, so we used passionfruit passion fruit pulp into our banana mix. Um, And it was an amazing flavor, you know , um, I'm from South America.
So I grew up eating really exotic fruits and , um, yeah, it's just a refreshing tart, you know, nutrient rich , uh, basically base that you add with any of the toppings that you want. So that was one of my favorites.
Wendy: [00:15:38] I love passionfruit. That sounds incredible.
Valeria: [00:15:42] I know me too. 
Wendy: [00:15:43] Very cool. 
And what does the future hold for Peel soft serve?
Valeria: [00:15:47] Yeah. So we definitely see a big opportunity in universities , um, and the partnerships that we can have with them around education and food waste. We'd love to work with local universities here in Miami, such as like university [00:16:00] of Miami or Florida International university. Um, Gen Z actually is our current biggest consumer. And as you may know, they're driven towards sustainability and companies who have a cause. you know, they really want to nourish their bodies with healthy foods and they want to help the environment by eating a lot of vegan options. So we're definitely looking forward to opening up a brick and mortar in the future and continue the work around food waste all while serving really delicious, healthy, and nutrient rich bowls.
Wendy: [00:16:24] That sounds great and super delicious too. There's a lot of initiatives around sustainability in South Florida. Are you working with or collaborating on or in touch with other folks that are doing this? 
Valeria: [00:16:35] Yes. So I was, as, as I was saying earlier, gen Z is currently our biggest consumer , um, for Peel. And so we've gone on a lot of requests for students , um, at different universities to have us be present in upcoming months, such as Earth Day. Um, 
Wendy: [00:16:51] cool. And if someone wants to reach out to you, that's listening to this podcast, what's the best way to do it.
Valeria: [00:16:56] The best way to reach out to us is definitely through email. That's [00:17:00] a hello@peelsoftserve.com
Wendy: [00:17:01] Great.
. I'm so glad that I got to chat with you today about all the cool things that you're doing and the sustainable work. And the vision that you have to around, , reducing food waste. So thank you so, so much for being on the podcast and I hope all of the listeners enjoyed it. That's the show, everybody.
Thanks for tuning in. And I will talk to you next time. Bye