Londoners will be able to get free lunches on Wednesday as part of a new campaign to crack down on food waste in the UK.
Hundreds of meals will be handed out to people in the capital, with many of the meals made using the 20 most wasted leftover items.
It comes as figures show nearly three quarters of UK households are regularly throwing out food each week, with 40% of the average home's grocery shop ending up in the bin.
Of those, a report across 1,500 adults by Elmlea found that the top three ingredients most likely to be thrown out were lettuce, bread and bananas.
When questioned, 74% of respondents said they are "left baffled" when it comes to knowing what to do with leftovers and ingredients approaching their use by date, even though a third of us are actively seeking inspiration online.
To inspire Brits to make a change on how they approach waste, a social-concept café is opening its doors in line with ‘Stop Food Waste Day’.
Open for one-day-only on Wednesday 24 April, the 'Taste, Not Waste' café will be serving hundreds of free lunches using the top 20 foods most likely destined for landfill.
Taking place in close proximity to Oxford Circus, on 22 Foley Street, Fitzrovia, Londoners need to simply turn up to the pop-up between midday and 3pm for their free lunch.
Meal options will include chicken with romesco Sauce, vegetable curry, creamy mushroom tartlets and deserts such as eton mess and salted caramel and banana trifles.
"The scale of the food waste problem is staggering, as a nation we need to unite in driving education, as well as make tangible changes to our culture around food that will help reduce these figures," explained Gemma Williams, at Elmlea.
"With 90% of us throwing food away too soon, we hope the ‘Taste, Not Waste’ café will fuel inspiration and show attendees how you can make delicious recipes that will use up the food that’s about to go bad in your fridge or pantry.
Top 20 foods most likely to be wasted
- Lettuce
- Bread
- Cucumber
- Milk
- Bananas
- Tomatoes
- Yoghurt
- Eggs
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Cream
- Strawberries
- Cooked rice
- Apples
- Cheese
- Peppers
- Cooked Pasta
- Onion
- Chicken
- Broccoli
