Cheshire East Takes ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ Campaign On the Road

4th February 2010

Cheshire East Council is taking its ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign on a spring roadshow later this month (26 February to 27 March).

Fronted by celebrity chef Nigel Brown, who owns his own cookery academy and is a star of Ready Steady Cook, the campaign will encourage local residents to make the most of the food they buy.

Nigel will complete quick-fire cooking demonstrations on how to make more of food that would usually be thrown away.

The roadshows will take place in Crewe, Nantwich, Macclesfield, Knutsford, Wilmslow, Congleton, Middlewich and Sandbach (locations are to be confirmed).

Phil Sherratt, Head of Environmental Services, said:

“So many of us don’t realise just how much food we throw away on a weekly basis. Our roadshows will show people just how easy it is to cut food waste, simply by planning meals better, storing food more efficiently and being a little more creative with leftovers.”

We throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink in the UK every year.  The average UK family could make a saving of £50 a month by cutting down on food waste

“Reducing the amount of food that we waste and therefore send to landfill will also have an environmental impact.”

Nigel Brown added:

“A great deal of effort goes into producing and delivering our food and it's sad to think so much of it ends up in the bin. If I can help people really use everything they buy, they can reduce their weekly spend on groceries and eat healthy imaginative meals. It's what our mum's and grannies have been telling us for years, "waste not, want not", it's time we started listening and acting on their excellent advice.”

For further information or for tips on how to enjoy food but reduce food waste please visit the love food hate waste website.
 
Handy tips for reducing food waste:

• Cook a large dish and then divide into portions to freeze for another day, great for days when you will be busy or home late. 
• Check what's at the back of your fridge and cupboards before shopping and keep an eye on 'Use by' and 'Best before' dates 
• Buy your fruit and vegetables loose so you can buy exactly how much you need. This will also reduce packaging. 
• Invest in storage containers and bag clips for resealing bags. After opening packets of dried foods such as cereals, rice, flour and pasta, reseal them tightly or transfer them into storage boxes or jars.
• Take time to plan your meals for the week ahead. You'll find it much easier when you are food shopping if you have your meals in mind. 
• Packs of meat and fish can be separated into smaller pieces for the freezer so you can take out the right amount you need. 
• Some food waste in inevitable, but items like peelings, egg shells and tea bags can be composted to create valuable home compost for your garden.