Amateur chefs and bakers are being encouraged to waste no time in entering a food leftovers Bake Off cookery competition.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has teamed up with the county’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and a cookery school to challenge residents to come up with fantastic recipes using leftovers and everyday store cupboard ingredients.
The winners of the competition will receive £100 vouchers for the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass Inn at South Dalton.
Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The purpose of this competition is to highlight how easy it is to save money and waste less food by using up leftovers that might usually get thrown away.
“If you feel passionately about reducing food waste and diverting food from landfill, and if you have a fabulous recipe using leftovers, then this competition is for you.
“We have some great prizes on offer … so get baking!”
The competition has two categories – 11 to 16-year-olds and 17 years and over – and the final three from each category will have the opportunity to cook their recipes at The Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School at Southburn, near Driffield, on Saturday 19 April.
Their entries will be judged by Michelin-starred James Mackenzie, owner/chef of the Pipe and Glass Inn.
Entrants must be from the East Riding and their recipes must be original and show that they can be made from leftover food or windfallen fruit and surplus vegetables, and everyday store cupboard ingredients.
James said: “I’m delighted to judge this competition, and to provide the first prize of vouchers for The Pipe and Glass Inn. We waste so much good food unnecessarily in this country, and a lot of it comes down to people just not knowing how to use leftovers to make delicious dishes. I hope this competition will help to both highlight the problem, and educate young people on how to make the most of their food.”
Finalists must be available to cook their recipes at The Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School on Saturday, 19 April from between 10.30am and 1pm.
First prize winners in each category will receive gift vouchers up to the value of £100 for the Pipe and Glass Inn; runners up will receive stainless steel kitchen recycling bins; and third-placed finalists will receive a signed Jamie Oliver Save With Jamie cookbook. All winners will also receive a recycling goody bag.
Entry forms are available at schools and other venues across the East Riding and also on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council website at www.eastriding.gov.uk
Telephone the council’s waste and recycling team on (01482) 395388 for more information.