An innovative catering company from St Austell has been working towards a goal of selling 5,000 meals and giving the equivalent away to people in food poverty in Cornwall.
When chefs Mike Greer and Stuart Millard set up Keep Cornwall Fed at the beginning of the year, they hoped to reduce food waste and tackle food poverty.
From the outset, the chefs behind the social enterprise catering company knew they had to aim high and planned to sell 5,000 meals in their first year of operation, and give away another 5,000 for free to those most in need.
"Our first year has been extremely busy," said Mr Greer, who previously worked as a chef at the Eden Project. "We set ourselves a big target because it’s a big problem, and we knew we could do it."
Together with their team, the two chefs have been busy cooking up a storm at events, festivals, weddings and parties around the county this summer.
From street food and pop-up events to a’la carte and private dining, the Keep Cornwall Fed team prides itself on being able to create menus to suit all types of events and budgets.
Their business model is inventive, using nose-to-tail and root-to-tip cooking and seasonal produce from a network of local suppliers.
In return for their business, these suppliers also pass on surplus food free of charge or at greatly reduced prices.
In August, Keep Cornwall Fed hit their first target, passing the 5,000 meals sold mark while providing staff and crew catering at local festival Creation Fest.
Now, having donated 2,800 meals, the team is working with St Austell Community Kitchen and Newquay Drop in and Share (Disc) to reach its target of 5,000 donated meals before the end of 2017.
The chefs also volunteer most weeks at Fourways Youth Centre in St Blazey, teaching children vital cooking skills while providing them with healthy meals.
Plans for next year include hosting a series of pop-up events in Charlestown as well as catering events.
The team has also applied for the Aviva community fund, to help with running costs and giving back through the winter months.
"Not wasting food is just good cheffing to me," said Mr Greer. "But today, so many people don’t know how to cook and so much perfectly usable food ends up in the bin. More and more people are going hungry and turning to foodbanks. We just thought, there has to be something we can do.
"Seven million tonnes of food and drink are thrown away every year in homes in the UK, and more than half of this could be eaten. Add to this the waste from supermarkets, shops and restaurants and it amounts to a significant problem.
"At the same time, there are approximately eight million people in the UK living in food poverty, unable to feed themselves and their families a healthy, nutritious meal."