MASTERCHEF Kate Bracks is encouraging Orange residents to reduce their food and kitchen waste with simple techniques and says doing so changed her life.
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Putting aside the chef’s hat and donning an apron yesterday, the celebrity chef used fresh produce and handy hints to show 25 Love Food Hate Waste workshop participants how to make a basic tomato and basil sauce last for five different meals.
Mrs Bracks demonstrated techniques she learned 10 years ago when she began to plan meals in advance and use leftovers when she and her husband were saving up for a house mortgage and were strapped for cash.
“For me it was quite life-changing,” she said.
“You reduce your food budget, you’re reducing waste and you’re saving the environment at the same time.
“I’m showing my home cooking here today. Believe it or not, we don’t eat five-star restaurant quality meals in my house every day.”
When participants were asked if people threw out too much food that could otherwise be eaten, the unanimous answer “yes” echoed around the room.
In NSW alone, each household throws away $1000 worth of food every year, which equates to about 800,000 tonnes across the state.
To combat this, Foodcare Orange and NetWaste teamed up to host a series of three free workshops called Love Food Hate Waste to give Orange residents the tools to make significant savings in their food budget.
“It’s mind-boggling how much time money and food is wasted simply because of poor planning,” NetWaste Environmental Learning advisor Sue Clark said.
“Participants at these workshops will learn how to avoid food waste, save time, and money and reduce their environmental impact by planning better, shopping smarter and storing food more effectively.”
People interested in attending the remaining workshops, held on October 20 and 27 at the Glenroi Community Centre from 11am can call Ms Clarke on 0400 336 508.
