20 May 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal

Around £3 billion worth of food will be wasted by the UK food service and hospitality sector this year.

Research by food waste prevention experts WRAP says this is £2.5 billion up from 2011.

The report, Quantification Of Food Surplus, Waste And Related Materials In The Grocery Supply Chain, funded mainly by Defra and Welsh Government, is the most comprehensive review of surplus food and food waste from UK food manufacturers and grocery retailers.

It says action to stop more perishable food waste could save businesses £300 million a year.

As a part of this, BaxterStorey is working with a UK supplier to help eradicate its wasted asparagus crop and continue the battle against food waste in the hospitality sector.

Watts Farm in Kent and Essex supplies supermarkets, food service providers, restaurants, and farmers’ markets with around 70 different fruit and vegetable products.

Last year, Watts Farm produced 36 tonnes of good asparagus, but 15 per cent of this did not meet the specification required and was graded as waste. Uneven asparagus is graded as class two or three, and much of this produce is used as compost.

Matt Hay, chef director at BaxterStorey, said: “Asparagus is an extremely versatile ingredient, celebrated by chefs throughout its short season. We have created a series of recipes to inspire our chef teams when using asparagus, proving it does not have to be class one to be delicious.”

The team will also take some of the farm’s asparagus trimmings, which are routinely wasted. These will be the basis of a range of fresh soups, stocks and sauces making this expensive seasonal ingredient more affordable for many businesses.

Hay added: “We hope offering an alternative to class one asparagus will help fight the war on food waste and encourage people to love all fruit and vegetables, no matter what their shape or size.”