Top chef slams 'eye watering' food waste as millions go hungry this Christmas

16 December 2023 , 21:14

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Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge (Image: BBC / Bone Soup / Edwin Hasler)

Tom Kerridge tonight led calls for the Government to tackle food waste – as millions face hunger this Christmas.

The celebrity chef hit out as figures reveal we’re binning the equivalent of seven billion meals each year. Michelin-starred Tom, 50, who grew up on a council estate, said: “It’s an eye-watering amount of food waste in the UK every year – it’s a scandal and one that is so heartbreaking to hear. We can’t continue to have a country that has critical food poverty on one hand and food going to waste on the other, there must be a strategy and strong government leadership to find a solution.”

He and other stars support food waste charity FareShare which estimates three million tonnes of food from farms and supermarkets is chucked every year. Campaigners say £25million would help create 100 million extra meals for needy families. But there is currently no government funding to redistribute surplus food in the UK.

The charity’s plea for action was also backed by Scottish actor Mark Bonnar, 55, who said: “With Christmas coming it can be particularly stressful for many struggling to make ends meet. While millions of people are being forced into food insecurity, so much food is going to waste and we should not be in that position in this society. The Government can and should do more, and work with FareShare to get more of this nutritious and delicious food to the people who need it.”

Three million tonnes of food is chucked out every year (Dinendra Haria/LNP)

Tonight Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed branded the situation “a stain on our country”. The MP for Croydon North added: “The Conservatives’ refusal to tackle food waste and failure on the cost of living crisis has left too many children unsure when their next meal will come this Christmas. Labour will work with businesses to make sure food is put on the plates of those in the greatest need.”

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One mum of two among thousands feeling the pinch this festive season told how she turned to a food pantry – where a bag of groceries costs £5 – when she went on maternity leave. Rachel, 35, a beauty therapist from Preston, Lancs, said: “I went from working full-time to nothing and we weren’t eligible for any extra help so I was really struggling.

“Before discovering the food pantry I was walking to local supermarkets every day to get all of the stuff that was in the reduced sections and putting them in the freezer, to make sure that we had meals for the week. Without the service, I would struggle massively, and the fact the Government is refusing to help redistribute food is disgusting.”

It is a similar story for Katie Littlefair, from Newcastle, who is a full-time carer for her autistic son. Katie told us: “I use a food waste pantry at my kids’ school because it’s much cheaper. I can get things like bread, tins and sanitary products for much less than in a supermarket, so it’s easier to keep the cupboards fuller for longer. Ministers pretend to understand our struggle but they’re not even on the same page. There’s no remote understanding about what it’s like to be unable to feed your family.”

Scottish actor Mark Bonnar (right) at the charity

In 2018 the Government launched a £15million food waste pilot scheme but it fizzled out and was never replaced. FareShare boss George Wright said: “While FareShare’s network will work hard to provide millions of meals worth of surplus food to people in need this winter, the scale of this crisis is going to increase. We need the Government to support us and ensure that no one is left behind and that good-to-eat food is going to people, not waste.”

Fareshare delivers surplus food to 8,500 charities and school clubs. In 2019 the Government gave it a £1.9million food waste grant which helped to deliver 4,447 tonnes of food, but the scheme was dropped.

The UK government lags behind other countries such as the US, France and Spain who provide financial support to distribute excess groceries. But a spokesperson insisted: “We are leading the global effort to reduce food waste with a commitment to halve it by 2030, from a 2007 baseline. We have already invested nearly £13million across 250 organisations so the redistribution sector can develop long-term solutions to reduce waste.”

Saskia Rowlands