Seasonal events
Party on without food waste!
Party on without food waste!
Yes, it’s that time of the year…no wonder we refer to it as the silly season.
With a bit of planning, entertaining at home over the Christmas and New Year period can be done in a way that minimises waste. If you are welcoming guests over the festive period, here are some suggestions to make sure no food goes uneaten.
Our top ten tips:
- Unsure as to how much to scale up? Use the Save the Food guestimator to estimate how much food you will need to prepare.
- Serve food in smaller portions than usual. Prepare food that can be eaten in one or two bites. Often, people eat before a party and their eyes are bigger than their bellies!
- Let guests know that you intend to serve food.
- Find out if any guests have dietary requirements.
- Remember, it’s ok to run out of food…It’s a sign of a good party, right?
- Make goodie bags for your guests. Plan ahead for this so that you have some glass jars with screwtops handy. Your guests will be delighted to come away with something delicious to take home.
- Freeze what you don’t eat. Cheese from a cheese board can be frozen for later use. A chicken or turkey carcass can be frozen to be made into stock when you have a few hours free. The same goes for cooked meats and even leftover wine! Pour the end of a bottle of wine into an ice cube tray. This will be handy for making risotto, lasagne and casseroles…anything that requires a splash of wine when you don’t wish to open a bottle.
- While traditional foods are important, let’s face it: not everyone enjoys brussels sprouts. There’s no point in preparing traditional foods if nobody in your household will actually eat them. Prepare what you know people will enjoy.
- If you’re having a sit down meal, serve food from bowls at the centre of the table and keep any dishes leftover for dinner the following day.
- Even if it’s been a hell of an event, cover food before you go to bed. There’s no need to assume that anything left out for a few hours or overnight hasn’t gone off. Trust your senses.
How do you party on without food waste?
Do you have your own top tips to avoid food waste at Christmas and over the New Year celebrations? Tell us at: