Roadshow visits Silverburn to help fight against food waste

The Fresh Thinking Roadshow, a nationwide initiative launched by Hotpoint, is touring the country and will visit Silverburn Shopping Centre on Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19.

During its two-day residency, the roadshow will offer food hacks, tip and tricks, as well as leftovers cooking demos and interactive games.

Visitors can win the chance to meet Jamie Oliver at Hotpoint’s food waste pop up café that will open in October in London.

The campaign follows new research that reveals 39 per cent of Brits admit they waste food and 65 percent say it is an issue that worries them. More than 7 in 10 (74 per cent) say they feel personally responsible for the impact food waste is having on the environment, yet UK households are throwing away enough food to amount to £271.44 per household every year. A recent WRAP report found that British households now throw away five million tonnes of good food a year.

Of those surveyed, one third (36 per cent) said wasting food leaves them feeling ‘guilty’, a quarter (24 per cent) feeling ‘frustrated’ and 16 per cent feeling ‘disorganised’. When asked why they waste food, one in five (21 per cent) said it’s because they did not have a chance to eat it before it passed its best before date and one quarter (26 per cent) said it’s because they are afraid it’s no longer safe to eat. Almost one in four (23 per cent) Brits said that information on how to be creative in the kitchen would be useful to help them to reduce food waste.

The roadshow cooking demos will feature some of the nation’s most wasted foods including bread, bagged salad, fresh fruit and veg, cooked leftovers, milk, eggs, cheese, meat and fish.

Jennifer Taylor, head of brand for Hotpoint, said: “Our research has shown us how much food Brits are wasting, as well as how much the nation really cares about the issue. Our Fresh Thinking Roadshow will show people how to take action to help prevent it. There’s so much that can be done with leftovers and forgotten food, and with the right kitchen equipment, from fridge technology that keeps food fresh for longer to ovens with auto-recipe functions for extra inspiration, your food and your money can go a lot further.”

The Roadshow’s kitchen is fully equipped with Hotpoint appliances, including the latest refrigeration technology, which ensures that food is kept in optimal conditions, the key to reducing avoidable food waste. The Multipower Inverter Compressor rapidly corrects temperature within the fridge after door opening for long lasting food freshness, while Freeze Care technology reduces freezer burns, so frozen food retains its quality, taste and texture for longer.

The finale of the campaign will see a pop-up café open for three days in October. Situated in London, the café will be launched by Jamie Oliver and open to the public offering a tasting menu of recipes centred on the top 10 most wasted foods, with all proceeds being donated to food waste charity, FoodCycle. A competition will open on the 24th July, in which the nation can submit their favourite home-made recipe featuring the top 10 most wasted foods to be in with a chance for their recipe to be featured on the pop-up café’s menu and to meet Jamie Oliver at the launch event.