Love Food Hate Waste Campaign - 2010

Love Food Hate Waste is the Waste Not Want Not of the modern day, providing handy tips, advice and recipes for leftovers to help everyone waste less food.

8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK every year.

Reducing food waste is a major issue and not just about good food going to waste. Wasting food costs the average family with children £680 a year and has serious environmental implications too.

If everyone stops wasting that much food, the CO₂ impact would be the equivalent of taking one in four cars off the road.

It is not about asking people to eat less, just to make the most of the food that is bought and at the same time, help the environment. 

Food Lovers recipe competition

To celebrate the start of our local Love Food Hate Waste 2010 campaign, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Dee 106.3 Radio and The Chester Chronicle launched a competition for Cheshire West and Chester residents to find the best recipes, made from food that you might find tucked away in the back of the cupboard or floundering in the fridge.

We wanted you to send us your favourite recipe - it might for example include leftovers such as old pasta, unused bread and even old tea bags - providing a new lease of life as they are transformed into starters, main meals or desserts.

Thank you to everyone who entered our Love Food Hate Waste Food Lovers recipe competition.

We had a great response, and lots of tasty recipes were sent full of ideas for making the most of the food we buy and helping to save money on our food bills.

In partnership with the Chronicle and Dee Radio, we are pleased to announce the overall Winner and recipe idea:

• Bhupinder Virdee-Lace with her winning recipe Lamb Saag

The runners up are:

• Daniel Rowley with Leftover Chicken Supper
• Minnie Coppack with Balti Pasties
• Stephanie Hilton with After the Holiday Pie
• Sue Fernandes with Beetroot Bread
• Tricia Barlow with Broccoli and Ginger Soup
• Julie Solari with Bread Pudding
• Mrs S C McElroy with Chicken Soup with Tomato and Green Beans
• Natalie McKerrigan with Fantastic Frittata
• Rachel Williams with Chicken Koulebiaca
• Richard Williams with Richard's Spicy Potatoes
• Christine Darwen with Banana Cake.

All winners will receive tickets to Chester's Food, Drink and Lifestyle Festival 2010, a goody bag and will see their recipe idea featured in our new Food Lovers Recipe Book.

The 'free' book, plus advice and giveaways will be available from one of our upcoming Roadshows, details of which are listed below.

If you can't make any of the remaining roadshows, download a copy of   'The Food Lovers Cookbook'.

Roadshows: February - March 2010

Roadshows will be delivered across Cheshire West and Chester. Residents will be able to find out quick and easy ways to reduce their food waste and keep their food costs down. There will be opportunities to win food saving prizes.

Roadshow Dates

February 2010
Roadshow times are 9.30am - 3.30pm unless shown otherwise.

• Thursday, 25 February - Lache 10.30am - 4pm
• Friday, 25 February -  George and Dragon, Tarvin 8am - 4pm
• Sunday, 28 February - Parkgate, The Parade

March 2010
Roadshow times  9.30am - 3.30pm unless shown otherwise.

• Monday, 1 March - Elton Shops (morning only)/Community Centre, Elton (afternoon)
• Tuesday, 2 March - Farndon Memorial Hall
• Wednesday, 3 March - Beeston Market 7am - 3pm
• Thursday, 4 March - Winsford Market 7am - 3pm
• Friday, 5  March - Tattenhall Barbour Institute
• Monday, 8 March - Helsby Library/Community Centre
• Tuesday, 9 March - Morrisons, Frodsham 
• Wednesday, 10 March - Kelsall Community Centre
• Thursday, 11 March - Frodsham Market 7am - 3pm
• Friday, 12 March - Northwich Market 7am - 3pm
• Saturday, 13 March - Morrisons, Winsford
• Sunday, 14 March - Marbury Country Park
• Monday, 15 March - Hartford Village Hall, Davenham
• Tuesday, 16 March - Malpas High Street Car Park
• Friday, 19 March - Neston Market 7am - 3pm
• Saturday, 20 March - Mill View Farmers Market, Upton 7am - 3pm

Food Waste Diary

Keeping a food waste diary can help us find out more about the kinds of food we waste at home (even if we don't think we waste anything) and helps us find out where and how we could reduce the amount of food we throw away.

We hope that by keeping this week long diary you can become aware of the type and amount of food waste you actually throw out. Download your food waste diary (PDF 131KB).

Further information

Householders can find further information about reducing food waste on the Love Food Hate Waste website. If you require further information about the 2010 campaign please contact:

• Susan Perry, Waste Awareness Officer, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Telephone: 0300 123 7026.