Dear #anovafoodnerds,
This year has been a tough one and many are excited for it to be over. There has been inexplicable loss, political turmoil, and grief over missed celebrations, gatherings and our old way of life. We hope that you are safe and healthy, and that you continue to be in the new year.
As with most dark clouds though, there are silver linings. For me, 2020 was tough, but ultimately I’ll remember it as a year of hope. 2020 reinforced my belief in the importance of Anova’s mission and highlighted how awesome our #anovafoodnerd community is. This year also revealed the character of the people on the Anova team. I was inspired by the work they did and I want to highlight some of it for you.
Anova’s Mission and the #anovafoodnerd Community
Anova’s mission is to change a fundamental aspect of human life – the way people cook. We do this by transforming an everyday task into a meaningful experience, bringing people together in the heart of the home. While most technology and innovation has the tendency to isolate us from another (see the Social Dilemma and check your iPhone usage on any given week), our technology brings people together. We do cook for ourselves on occasion, but most often we cook for others. We love that we give our community tools that help them realize their best chefselves®.
This year our mission became even more important. As our cities and towns shut down, we were forced to stay inside. We spent more time in our kitchens than ever before, turning to them for comfort and creativity. 2020 unexpectedly became the “Year of the Home Chef.”
The Anova Team
In March, like most teams, our team was forced to work from home. Most of us were living in the Bay Area, a part of the country that locked down early. Our team was physically isolated and anxious. We were anxious about loved ones and their physical and emotional well-being. Many of us still are. Yet despite the difficulties the team faced this year, they delivered. We’ve got a group of people with great character and amazing resilience. I’m truly inspired to work with the Anova team each and every day.
We’re also a team that deeply cares about the world around us. Our team made great strides this year towards a more sustainable future for Anova and for sous vide. Our new and improved Anova Precision® Vacuum Sealer Bags and Rolls are now 100% plastic neutral. Every time you purchase a box of Anova Precision® Vacuum Sealer Bags and Rolls, the equivalent of 32 plastic bottles will be prevented from entering the ocean through our partnership with Plastic Bank®.
Partnering with Plastic Bank® is just the first step in our sustainability journey. Our goal is to have a fully recyclable or compostable vacuum sealer bag available by 2022. While we work on a long-term solution, we launched a sustainable sous vide series, sharing simple tips and tricks #anovafoodnerds can use to reduce plastic use while cooking sous vide.
We also committed to helping the community. Through the efforts of our team, we helped provide approximately 100,000 meals to members of our community. Some of our specific efforts include the following:
- In conjunction with our parent company, Electrolux, we raised money to support vulnerable seniors through the Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund.
- We partnered with La Cocina – a San Francisco kitchen incubator focused on low-income food entrepreneurs, working class women of color and immigrant women – to support 13 businesses across the San Francisco Bay area through product donations.
- This month alone, Anova donated 30,000 meals to help support children, families, seniors and individuals at risk of hunger.
In closing, I want you to know how immensely grateful we are for our community and how great the team is in their commitment and dedication to Anova and our broader community. And I want to say thank you – Thank you so much for your support this year. It meant the world to us.
Wishing you a 2021 filled with love and laughter and perfectly cooked food,
Stephen Svajian
Co-Founder and CEO