Over a thousand hungry festival-goers queued up for a free hot lunch at The Lantern Fayre as part of a campaign to highlight the problem of food waste.

The Harvest Feast event saw the Food Waste Collective team up with The Salvation Army, The Real Junk Food Project and FareShare to raise awareness of the 50,000 tonnes of edible food which are sent to landfill each year in Brighton and Hove.

Debbie, a Food Waste Collective Member, said: “A lot of people are very passionate about the fact that this shouldn’t be going to waste. The idea is that we’re saving food, we’re rescuing it.”

Brighton farmers, wholesalers, supermarkets and charities all helped pull together food that would have otherwise been wasted this weekend to feed the enthusiastic crowd.

Phil, Catering Manager at the Salvation Army, said he was blown away by the turn out at the Harvest Feast – but that more needed to be done to direct food to the right people.

“The people who are in real trouble are young families with young kids who are on minimum wage,” he said. “Those are the people who should have access to this stuff but aren’t being given that opportunity.”

One of the key aims of the Food Waste Collective is to develop an infrastructure to ensure that edible food which might go to landfill can sent to those in need of a hot meal.

Phil said: “Some of that is going to mean legislation changes because we are forcing people to throw away food which is perfectly fine. That needs to change.”

The Foodshed, Chilli Shop, Infinity Wholesale, Mile Oak Farm Shop and Go Local were among 10 businesses and charities who contributed food to the event.

Those interested in getting involved can look up the Food Waste Collective online, join a gleaning network helping pick surplus farm produce or volunteer at any of the food banks or Salvation Army soup kitchens.

Describing the project as both ambitious and achievable, Debbie said: “Food waste is a huge beast. Together we can fight it.”

WHAT THOSE ATTENDING THOUGHT

Oliver Stanley said: “I think it’s important that people realise the true cost of food, rather than just the price in the supermarket, and that’s one of the things that they’re really highlighting well today.”

Izzi, food collective volunteer said: “On Monday I was involved with the gleaning for the sweetcorn. It was ridiculous how much corn we couldn’t even pick because there was so much of it and we just didn’t have the capacity. So there’s that, and then there’s so many people who can’t get access to any fresh produce or anything.”

Malcom, care worker, said: “I’ve been twice before to these events and it’s always really enjoyable so I’ve come back. I make sure I don’t throw much food away, and I’m a vegetarian so I try to do my bit, but I think it’s an issue that people do need to know about.”