Taywell farm stores in Goudhurst and Tunbridge Wells, Kent are the inaugural winners of the new Love Food Hate Waste Award, part of the Taste of Kent Awards.

Taywell’s fruit and vegetables that are in date, but past their peak, are recycled back into the business via Taywell’s new Shake & Juice Bar in Tunbridge Wells or pureed and frozen to be used within Taywells ice creams. The business also found an innovative use for unsold bread, freezing it and creating a new Brown Bread ice cream flavour.

Fruit and vegetables account for 36 per cent of total food waste in the UK, so Taywell demonstrated a pro-active local solution to a national problem, say the judges. As well as Taywell’s contribution to reducing landfill and protecting the environment, the business reduced its waste disposal costs by ¬£2000 per annum.

Julie Monkman, manager at Produced in Kent, co-organisers of the award, said: “In a tougher economic climate, Taywell is a dynamic example that food waste reduction and resource management really does pay.”

The judging panel was looking for a company that made the biggest impact on food wastage reduction, resource management and environmental protection.

www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/kent

Photo: Love Food Hate Waste Award, being presented by Melanie Parris, community engagement officer from Kent County Council