Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is reminding mums and dads that there’s no need to spend a fortune this Halloween. With household budgets tight for many people, the Council has teamed up with the Waste Awareness Wales campaign to help people have a happy Halloween without breaking the bank.
The average family with children wastes a scary £12 every week on food that they never use. If you’re catering for lots of people at a Halloween party the chances of food going to waste are even greater, which means more money thrown away.
What’s more, many of us throw away food without thinking when we start carving the pumpkin lantern, which is where Love Food Hate Waste’s celebrity chef Kevin Woodford and Waste Awareness Wales’ Reduce and Reuse expert Georgina Taubman can help.
Georgina said:
“Halloween should be a bit of harmless fun; there’s no need to be scared about the cost. By planning ahead and making the most of leftovers when the party’s over, you can relax without worrying about what you’re wasting.
“With Kevin’s recipes (available on www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk) there’s no excuse for throwing pumpkin flesh away, and my tips will help you save money and avoid the horror of wasting food.”
Merthyr Tydfil CBC’s Waste Awareness Officer said:
“I know that lots of families are feeling the pinch at the moment and saving hard for Christmas gifts. At the same time many of us are still throwing too much food away. This is an issue, as not only are families wasting their hard earned cash but the extra waste produced means that we are at risk of missing our tough recycling and waste reduction targets.
“That’s why we are teaming up with Waste Awareness Wales and reminding families that you can have all the fun of Halloween without the cost to your pocket and the environment.”
Georgina’s tips
- It’s impossible to prepare the right amount of food if you don’t know how many people you’ll be feeding. Send out invitations via email or Facebook and ask for responses so there’s less chance of being caught out by cooking too much or too little.
- Next step is writing a shopping list. It will help you buy just the right amount, stick to it and resist those impulse purchases.
- Having a quick check in the fridge, cupboards and freezer before making a list will remind you of what you already have to avoid doubling up.
- Freeze leftover cooked meats or fish. Let them cool before popping in the freezer, cut up into smaller pieces so they will defrost quickly, and seal well in a plastic freezer bag with the date written on.
- Why not take some leftover party nibbles to work or pop them in the children’s lunch box? It makes a welcome change from the normal packed lunch.
- Make breadcrumbs for use in cooking by blitzing up any leftover or stale bread and store in the freezer until needed.
- Slice up any leftover vegetables and stir fry with a store-cupboard essential – noodles.
- Don’t forget, leftover cream can be frozen. It is a good idea to whip it a little beforehand.
- Why not send guests home with any leftover slices of cake? It will be much appreciated the next day and a happy reminder of the party
For more information and for tasty Halloween recipes, visit www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk
