Chefs give food use tips
THE Love Food, Hate Waste campaign is back with a new calendar full of seasonal recipes from 12 local chefs using fresh, local ingredients.
It also includes simple, practical steps to help reduce food waste.
‘As we get ready for Christmas, we are encouraging islanders to reduce their waste in general,’ said Tina Norman-Ross, waste prevention and recycling officer.
‘The calendar will then hopefully be a reminder throughout next year to keep thinking about what ends up in the bin, and highlight how a few small changes can save a lot of money.’
It is estimated more than £10m.-worth of food is thrown away in Guernsey each year.
More than 3,000 tonnes are collected annually from households, about two-thirds of which could have been eaten.
An average family could be wasting as much as £800 a year on food that is binned.
‘We asked our chefs to come up with a seasonal dish for a particular month, using fresh local as well as general store cupboard ingredients,’ said Mrs Norman-Ross.
‘We hope it will encourage people to plan ahead, make shopping lists, buy what they need and eat what they buy.’
The chefs supporting the initiative are from the Conservatory, Cooked, Copenhagen, Imperial, La Fregate, La Reunion, Le Pommier, JB Parkers, Pier 17, Old Government House and The Rockmount.
Richard Wood, head chef at Le Pommier, showed how islanders can use up food in the fridge and cupboard to make a delicious meal.
He made a vegetable moussaka in about 40 minutes which if made purchasing brand new ingredients would have been about £2.50 per person, but was less due to using left over ingredients.
The campaign also highlights the differences between best before and use before dates.
Best before dates are found on products such as fruit and veg which can be eaten beyond the date, whereas use before dates are more likely to be seen on certain meats which could cause harm if eaten after that date.
Mrs Norman-Ross said the run-up to Christmas was an important time to get the message across, given the emphasis on food and drink over the festive season.
Calendars can be picked up from the following places
Aladdin’s Cave, Alliance, Checkers Xpress at Capelles, Co-op, Forest Stores, Iceland, M&S Simply Food, Morrisons and Waitrose
