IT’S a quick meal made out of ... well, nothing.

Because all the food used to cook up tasty treats at a food roadshow would normally have simply been thrown away.

And the roadshow came as it was revealed that the average UK household could be throwing away more than £600 a year by chucking edible food in the bin.

Gorgeous chicken rogan josh, Spanish fish stew, spicy butternut squash soup and apple tarts gave people food for thought at the conference at Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium.

They were among the tasty dishes cooked up by Co-operative chef Jill Weatherburn.

Delegates – including employees and Co-op members – were given handy hints and tips on using leftovers, storing food and meal and menu planning.

Jill, who spoke to around 100 people at the event said: “I’ve been touring the country giving people ideas on how to use leftovers and get the most out of their food and store cupboard ingredients.

“Many years ago people used to cook once and eat twice – using leftovers for a second meal – and we are trying to encourage this more to reduce the amount of food waste which people are creating.”

The event was one of 46 nationwide which the Co-operative has organised as part of its support for the Government-funded Love Food Hate Waste campaign which aims to raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste, as well as providing practical tips and solutions to help consumers waste less food.

According to the Waste And Resources Action Programme (WRAP), UK households throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food every year, but 70% of which could have been eaten.

This works out at a cost of £617 per household and creates the same amount of CO2 as one fifth of cars on UK roads.

Debbie Robinson, director of food marketing at the Co-operative Group, said: “Household food waste is a growing problem and, as the UK’s largest convenience store retailer, we are determined to do all we can to help our customers tackle this issue as well as helping them to spend wisely in these difficult times.”

The group has become the first retailer in the UK to include storage instructions for fruit and vegetables on its fresh produce bags to help tackle the growing problem of household food waste.

The Co-operative is also supporting the Love Food Hate Waste campaign by switching the emphasis of its promotional offers – particularly on perishable food such as fruit and veg – from buy-one-get-one-free to half-price offers.

Richard Swannell, director of retail for WRAP, said: “We welcome this initiative from the Co-operative which makes it easier for their customers to know how to best store fresh fruit and vegetables.

“For example, apples kept in the fridge can keep for an extra two weeks.

“This is the latest example of how the Co-operative is supporting the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, helping customers to save money by throwing away less food.’’