Kirklees Council is holding more free food-save workshops to help people cut food waste and save money.

The Save Food Save Money workshops, first run by the council in 2017, are being led by community food worker Bev Juniper.

Residents will be shown how to follow simple recipes that use up odds and ends from the fridge, freezer and food cupboards.

Designed to help prevent unnecessary food waste at every stage from planning shopping to dealing with leftovers, the workshops also include top tips, a cooking demonstration and individual time with Bev so attendees can ask questions and get helpful pointers to further learning.

Clr Will Simpson, Cabinet member for culture and greener Kirklees, said: “We launched these workshops five years ago and they have proved very popular, even though we had to hold them online during the pandemic.

“We are so glad that we can now hold them in person so people can get one-to-one advice at the workshops.

“The cost-of-living crisis means people are facing difficult times when it comes to managing budgets, so to be able to host workshops that reduce waste and save people money is great.

“In an average year, UK households waste 4.5 million tonnes of edible food. Reducing food waste is an easy way to have an impact on climate change.

“Food waste is not currently recyclable in Kirklees but composting is a great way of putting any inedible scraps to good use and there will be some good news on that front coming soon.”

The workshops cover three main themes.

  • Planning – which involves effective meal preparation, including buying just the right amount of food and how to avoid buying unnecessary items;
  • Storage – which looks at the best storing options for different foods to keep it fresher for longer;
  • Portions – which provides advice on how to reduce or reuse leftovers to further reduce food waste.

The next workshops take place at: 23 Ridgeway, Dalton, Huddersfield, on Friday July 22 (11am-1pm); and Cliffe House, 140 Lane Head Road, Shepley, on Wednesday August 3 (10am-12noon).

Places are limited, so early booking is advised. To find out more and to book a place on a workshop visit www.kirklees.gov.uk/foodwaste