From Barry to Bangor - Joanna Page helps busy families save money by taking food waste off the menu

New research from Wales Recycles reveals that nearly a quarter of people in Wales (24%) and almost a third (31%) of families with children living at home fall into the category of ‘high food wasters’, largely due to their demanding schedules. Yet, nine in ten agree that everyone has a responsibility to reduce food waste at home.

To help busy families in Wales reduce the financial and environmental impact of food waste, Wales Recycles has teamed up with busy mum, actor and presenter Joanna Page, along with Welsh chef and BBC's Chris Cooks Cymru presenter Chris “Flamebaster” Roberts. Together they’re leading this year’s Be Mighty. Recycle campaign - a national drive to help families save time, money and reduce waste.

The research also found that 82% of families worry about the cost of food. Yet, the average Welsh household of four throws away £84 worth of food each month, adding up to a whopping £800m across Wales annually. While most families (61%) say they enjoy cooking, time constraints remain the biggest challenge, with 56% struggling to find the time to prepare meals, jumping to 62% for families with children aged under 12 - significantly higher than the national average of 39%.

As working parents, each with four children, Joanna and Flamebaster have concocted a menu of quick, easy and flexible dishes which are guaranteed to go down well with any family. More importantly, the duo demonstrates how to elevate everyday home cooked meals, transforming them into delicious meals with ingredients that are often at risk of being wasted.

Joanna Page said, “I’m delighted to be working with Wales Recycles and Chris to help families cut food waste and save money with quick, easy and nutritious favourites that can be boosted with whatever ingredients are left in the fridge.

Mealtimes in our house can get hectic with four children to feed, each with their own preferences, so we’ve developed some lush dishes that are flexible enough to make any picky eater happy and simple enough for busy families. At the same time, it’s helping to reduce the food that ends up in the bin, saving us all money.

In a nod to Joanna’s iconic role, the menu includes the Cracking Fridge-Raid Omelette – a twist on a classic omelette featuring leftover greens and cheese, but versatile enough to be tweaked for picky eaters with whatever ingredients are on hand. As a heartier option, which is perfect for rugby-loving households and hungry children after school, Flamebaster has created the Cymru Chicken Curry “half and half”. Made with leftover chicken and served with rice and ‘skin-on’ chips, this dish makes the most of some of Wales’ most loved but wasted foods including chicken, carrots and potatoes - with an astonishing half a million spuds wasted in Welsh homes every day.

For a sweet and simple finish, the menu includes the Barry Island Yogurt Sundae - a simple, flexible, and nutritious dessert that takes just minutes to prepare and is sure to be a hit with the whole family, while helping to rescue fruit at risk of going to waste.

Joanna Page continues “We also want to make Wales the number one recycling nation, so please remember to put inedible food waste like eggshells, veg tops and chicken bones - in the food waste caddy, not the bin.”

Worldwide data on recycling shows that Wales is one of the top nations for recycling, ranking second in the world. However, despite food waste collection services being available to every household, food waste remains a problem for Wales.

Chris Roberts said, “I’ve been championing the campaign for years because I’m passionate about cutting food waste. Like Joanna, I have four children, so I know how important it is to have meals that are quick, easy, healthy and affordable. These recipes tick all those boxes as well as using up the most commonly wasted foods like potatoes, chicken and veggies. I’m excited to show people how they can cut food waste, save money and help Wales claim that number one spot!”

Joanna Page will be joining Chris at Bay 5 right on Barry Island seafront to learn more ways to avoid food going to waste. Together with Chris she'll be making a Welsh classic, as well as revealing her real-life omelette cooking capabilities.

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies said: "Everyone has played their part in helping Wales become the second-best recycling nation in the world. A huge thank you to everyone for your efforts.

But we can always do more, so it’s fantastic that the Be Mighty. Recycle campaign is helping families to do exactly that with meal ideas and tips to reduce food waste. This is a really important way to help create a circular economy, keeping resources in use for as long as possible, and avoiding waste food that could have been eaten”.

"Angela Spiteri, Senior Campaign Manager, WRAP, “We are thrilled to be working with two Welsh icons for Wales’ flagship waste and recycling campaign. A quarter of the average rubbish bin contains food waste, most of which could have been eaten – so our focus is all about getting the most from our food and recycling what can’t be eaten to help create renewable energy. This year we’re encouraging families from Barry Island to Bangor to use all the food they buy in quick, flexible recipes to save money and time, and recycle the inedible bits - like eggshells, chicken bones and carrot tops - to help Wales secure that top spot.”

The Be Mighty. Recycle campaign is also encouraging people to make use of their local food waste collections and put any food waste into the caddy, and not the bin, helping Wales to generate renewable energy, as well as helping to boost Wales to number one in the world for recycling.