I found Shane on Instagram when we started researching other brands/influencers who were engaged in the Food Waste movement. Shane is a vegetarian chef and education practitioner from Bristol. Apart from his interest in recycling and environmental issues, Shane specializes in creating imaginative meals from surplus food. He began cooking seriously when he was asked to prepare vegetarian cuisine for the Harbourside Market in Bristol. The success of his cooking prompted him to cook professionally in cafés, and for events and banquets throughout the South West.

Shane is also using his culinary skills to cook meals for homeless shelters and raise money for charitable organizations. His interest in food waste started when he was first introduced to the registered charity FoodCycle (www.foodcycle.org.uk). After learning about food waste issues, Shane decided to find a way to reduce waste by creating meals from vegetable and fruit skins. From this point, Shane started to take an interest in sustainability and environmental issues, becoming knowledgeable about this subject and working with environmental groups and collaborating with local councils.

Shane has a passion for education, working in schools and childcare settings and spreading the green message – he is dedicated to showing that dealing with environmental issues can be a fun and interesting experience.

1. What is it that you do and what inspires you to go Food Waste-LESS in the kitchen?

I'm a plant-based chef and environmental practitioner from the UK, specializing in creating meals from surplus food and promoting ways to reduce food waste and recycling. What inspires me to go “Food Waste-LESS” in the kitchen is the knowledge I have acquired. I know by recycling my food waste, using up surplus food and sharing my recipes I am making a difference, no matter how small. That’s what motivates me, making an environmental difference and helping people save money by not wasting food.

2. What are some simple tips that we “everyday people" can do in the kitchen to Go Food Waste-LESS?

My essential tips for reducing food waste are the following:

Carry a shopping list - whether you use a paper list or download a shopping list app, it helps you buy what you need and helps resist the urge to overbuy
Store food correctly - store your bread in a cool dark place or bread bin
Use your freezer - freeze items like bread, it helps keep it fresher for longer
Use sealing bag clips - they go by many names, but these “food clips” help seal food and keep them fresh. You can use them on potato chip packets or cookies packets
Cut away sprouted areas - store potatoes in a cool dark place, and if they start to sprout cut them away - they are fine to eat!
Stock rotation - moving products with an earlier use-by-date at the front of the shelf and products with a later used-by-date to the back. This way, products with an earlier date is used first.
Use overripe fruit - overripe fruit such as bananas make a great smoothie, as well as a quick banana crumble
Give food away - give food away to your neighbours, local community groups or the homeless
Use cellphone apps - there are lots of apps you can use where you can take a picture of your food, place it online and wait for someone to take it for free
Use leftovers - create a meal from your leftovers, making sure you have lots of herbs and spices to create a new meal from it