Can you believe the delicious spread above was made entirely out of foods that are commonly thrown away instead of eaten?
From the back of the fridge to the front of the table, the team at Love Food Hate Waste is inspiring Aucklanders to 'compleat' the food we buy, so we can save money, resources and the planet.
Close to 50 people gathered at Ōrewa Community Hall on Friday 8 November for the ‘Great Big Rescued Food Cook-off’.
Teams challenged each other to make the best meal inspired by ‘Back of the Fridge, Saved from Landfill, Loving your Leftovers, Cooking Goodness!’ All the dishes were made with rescued food donated by a local supermarket, which would otherwise have been sent to landfill.
The winning team, the Fabulous Foodies prepared and cooked a selection of delicious dishes. They were happy to walk away with a hamper full of organic wine, local cheeses, Ecostore products and much more. Team organiser, Margaret Anne Loftus, highly recommends the event.
“We absolutely had a wonderful time and the whole night was a great experience.”
While Love Food Hate Waste has led several workshops on the Hibiscus Coast this year, this is its first cook-off event.
Jo Smart, who hosted the event said, “We wanted to see how creative people could be, and they really came up with some fun recipes. The underlying message is how important it is for the environment to reduce our waste, and how easy it is to make something from those ingredients rather than throwing them away.”
Research has shown that around half of a household’s food waste is actually avoidable waste like forgotten salad greens, vegetable peels and uneaten leftovers. When food scraps break down in landfill, harmful methane gas is released into the atmosphere, leading to climate change. Loving our food and reducing the amount we throw away is one of the easiest and most effective ways we can contribute to fight climate change as individuals.
Love Food Hate Waste’s Compleat It campaign is filled with tips, tricks and tempting recipes to help Kiwis make the most of every bit of food.
It’s surprising how simple actions such as peeling our vegetables creates a huge amount of waste. If we all made a couple of easy changes, such as mashing or roasting potatoes with their skins on, it would reduce the amount of food sent to landfill. Together, we can make a big difference.
If you’d like to host a similar event in your area, please get in touch with the Love Food Hate Waste team.
