For the love of waste, food and learning...
​Urban Circular Economy,
Powered by MADLEAP CIC
​
Source Foods is the flagship project of
MAD LEAP CIC — a collective of engineers, growers, designers, and educators working to transform how we manage waste, food, and energy in cities.
​
We have developed food-waste management systems, urban farms, local food-production sites, and training hubs based both online & in East London.
Our mission is to empower communities to close the loop on waste, grow their own food, and build climate resilience from the ground up.
_edited.jpg)
From Waste to Resource
Every year, millions of tonnes of food are wasted in the UK — while many people go without. At Source Foods, we’re tackling this by turning food waste into power. Using small-scale anaerobic digestion technology developed by MAD LEAP CIC, we convert food scraps into renewable energy and natural fertiliser to help fuel hyper-local food growing.
​
Local Action, Global Vision
We’ve tested these circular systems everywhere from Central London rooftops to Innovate UK and European Commission research sites. Whether it’s in schools, tower blocks, rural communities, or refugee camps, our vision is the same: create decentralised solutions that turn waste into opportunity.
​
Powered by People
Our aerobic & anaerobic food-waste management, food growing courses, and training programmes in mushroom growing, hydroponics, no-dig sustainable gardening are designed to equip local people with the tools to create their own local circular economies — no matter their background or space.
​
We’re building a future where food is local, energy is renewable, and waste is no longer wasted.
​
Rooted in Real Communities
​
At Gainsborough Primary School in Hackney Wick, we compost the school’s food waste on site and use it to grow fresh herbs and vegetables. The produce is used in school meals, and the children take part in every stage — from food waste to compost to harvest — gaining hands-on skills, confidence, and environmental awareness along the way.
We also sell our seasonal produce at affordable prices to local teachers, parents, cafés, restaurants — and to you.
​
In Poplar, East London, we grow gourmet mushrooms at R-Urban, an experimental ecological hub by Public Works. Set in a repurposed car park, R-Urban brings Londoners together to explore grassroots responses to the climate crisis. Here, we run our popular mushroom growing courses and maintain an on-site anaerobic digester — turning food waste into heat, power, and nutrient-rich fertiliser.
Our Team
Rokiah
Managing Director
Rokiah coordinates sites, fundraising, and operations while advocating for micro anaerobic digestion (AD) technology in urban public spaces. She promotes the closed-loop ethos to educate communities on sustainability and resource recovery.
Guy
Co-founder and Lead Engineer
​
Guy has 20-years experience developing equipment in agricultural and waste sectors and collaborating with AD operators to produce integrated systems. He has many research trial platforms for UK and overseas clients, with commercialisation and production development the key drivers.
Katrina
Head Grower: Sustainable Gardening
Katrina is an experienced horticulturist specializing in sustainable gardening practices. She leads circular food-growing initiatives, provides green skills training, and advocates for sustainable education within the community.
Alani
Head Grower: Mushroom Cultivation
Alani's journey through agroforestry, eco-construction, and holistic living led to a deep passion for fungi and food justice. They are committed to holistic alternatives to extractive capitalist structures while fostering abundance and equity for all living beings.
Ana
Workshops & Courses
Ana is an outdoor educator, gardener and passionate herbalist who finds joy in fostering learning experiences in schools and community gardens. Her mission is to sow seeds of curiosity and growth that flourish beyond walls, nurturing a generation of mindful caretakers of our planet.
Junior
Head Grower: Hydroponics
Junior is a hydroponics specialist with a background in microgreen cultivation and graphic design. He now focuses on innovative growing techniques, helping expand sustainable food production while supporting community-driven initiatives.
Shahara
Web Development, Social Media & Communications
Shahara has a diverse background as a software engineer, permaculture educator, and biodynamic farmer. She now focuses on empowering food-growing initiatives by driving audience growth and product sales.
Energy, Equity, and the Circular Economy
While Source Foods is grounded in East London, our work grows from a global foundation. As the flagship initiative of MAD LEAP CIC, we’re part of a wider effort to design and test circular systems that work in both high-tech cities and off-grid communities.
​
One of our most exciting global collaborations is ECOSMART — a clean energy project spanning Nigeria and the UK. What started as a 15-month feasibility study has grown into a multi-partner, multi-country initiative developing smart minigrids powered by food waste and sunlight.
​
In partnership with organisations like Solar Sister, Smart Villages, and the University of Sheffield, the project combines solar energy with accelerated anaerobic digestion — turning cassava, yam, and market waste into on-demand, renewable power. These systems are being piloted in three Nigerian communities, where local women-led enterprises manage the waste-to-energy process, creating both climate and economic resilience.
​
By linking clean energy, food systems, and women’s empowerment, ECOSMART is helping developing regions leapfrog outdated infrastructure and build regenerative, decentralised solutions.
At Source Foods, we bring these same values home — combining tech, training, and community action to create circular, inclusive systems that manage waste, and feed and power our local future.