Food Technology students '˜save the surplus' with help from charity chef

A 20 strong group of Food Technology students have been working with the Chichester based charity UK Harvest to produce a meal made entirely from surplus food.

Nicole Bergmann, a Year 11 student, said: “It was a really good experience as we got to see and learn about the amount of food that is thrown away and wasted every day. We feel more knowledgeable about the types of food we can make from things that we may have been prepared to throw away. Working with a chef and to a specific time frame for serving the food was a great experience as it felt like we were in a real working kitchen”.

Students were joined by chef Dave Taylor from Oz Harvest and Brogan Rehill from the charity. They had an hour and a half to produce a two course, healthy meal, using food surplus from local supermarkets and farms that would have been destined for landfill, mainly due to its size, shape or colour. The food was then served to over 25 guests, including members of the leadership team and school governors.

Katie Robinson, team leader for PSHCE, said: “I was astonished at the amount of food that we throw away every day from our supermarkets, food producers and our own homes. It is so important that young people are educated not only about food nutrition, but about how their local action in the fight against food waste can have a national and even global impact”.

Brogan Rehill, logistics administrator for the charity, said: “We thoroughly enjoy working with young adults to install some independence skills using amazing fresh surplus. We give students the opportunity to learn about highly nutritious food to empower them to take ownership of their diets and wellbeing. It’s amazing to work with students that are passionate about the use of surplus quality food that would otherwise go to waste”.

In November, the school will be hosting its annual food drive and fundraising, with a large amount of the proceeds and food going to support the UK Harvest charity.

The charity currently feeds over 100 people a day from Stonepillow’s hostel St Joseph’s in Hunston Road, Chichester. Find out more about the charity at www.ukharvest.org.uk.