Top Scottish chef Andrew Fairlie has given his backing to a campaign to cut food waste in our homes.
The Michelin-starred cook has called on people across the country to host a waste free lunch as part of European Week for Waste Reduction. The initiative encourages householders to produce a meal from leftovers.
At his Gleneagles restaurant, Mr Fairlie has introduced schemes which have allowed him to reduce waste to almost zero. All chefs are provided with a food waste bucket and many left overs are turned in to compost which is used on the kitchen’s food garden.
Mr Farlie said: “I felt I needed to get involved in this campaign because we have been on about sustainability for some time now. When you see the statistics on how much food is wasted, it’s criminal. It’s about educating people in what you can do with leftovers.
“I’m passionate about sustainability in food, and I strive to make sure food is used as responsibly as possible in my restaurant. That includes buying local, sustainably sourced ingredients, using as much of the produce as possible and reducing waste.
“In the restaurant some of our most popular dishes are made from things some people might discard, like our roulade of head with crispy pig’s tails. Every meal we serve is a waste free meal, and it’s fantastic to see people across Scotland embracing this ethos as well.”
Zero Waste Scotland’s Ylva Haglund, co-ordinator for the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, said: “With food prices rising all the time, throwing food away is like throwing our hard earned money in the bin.
“It’s not just a waste of money, but also a waste of the energy and water that went into growing, transporting and refrigerating the food, which causes really harmful greenhouse gases when sent to landfill.
“European Week for Waste Reduction is a great time to get the message out that there’s loads of ways to prevent food waste, including planning meals that use up all of the ingredients you buy, checking cupboards before you shop, and making the most of leftovers by having a waste free lunch the next day.”