The ongoing problem of 'Food Wastage'

Yesterday, I came across an article which showed a university in Sheffield investing in a "community fridge" in order to combat food waste. They were proud to announce that they were the first organisation to implement this idea in all of Sheffield and challenge others to take on this task.

Their idea was inspired by Jamie Oliver, who on the 20th of April 2016 launched the UK's first ever community fridge. This fridge is stationed at the Loop de loop block, near the Frome library and is open everyday, so residents and businesses can share food that would otherwise go to waste. Jamie Oliver continues to say

The stats around food waste in the UK are shocking. The average household throws away £470 worth of food every year. Every day we throw away 220,000 loaves of bread, 5 million potatoes and 660,000 eggs. While at the same time it is estimated that 4 million people live in food poverty in the UK. 

Food wastage has become a huge problem around the world as people are starting to realise that it is not a sustainable option. Zero waste blogger Amanda Chapman opened New Zealand's first community fridge in Auckland last year. She has run this fridge as a trial together with volunteers and the Local Council. It was closed last December but was reopened due to popular demand. Research showed that New Zealand wasted an estimate of $900 million worth of food annually, this is just a small step to reducing this problem. Amanda says

The community fridge was incredibly successful; I had no idea it would be so huge. I was, and am still, constantly being contacted by people wanting to be involved or start their own fridge. the coverage and positive feedback was rewarding but overwhelming. I though the hardest part would be setting up the fridge, but it was actually trying to keep up with it.

Amanda Chapman believes that all this food wastage comes down to personal circumstances and lack of awareness. She tries to lead by example while at the same time educating people on how they can reduce their waste, both food and landfill. She says that it really comes down to big businesses and government who should be doing more to protect the environment and minimise large-scale waste and excess packaging. For more informations on Amanda, you can follow her blog.

Now you may be wondering on how you can reduce waste. Although it's hard to set up a nationwide non-profit organisation it's always good to start from somewhere. Here are eight practical ways on how you can start reducing waste at home.

1. Shop smart and realistically; Don't overbuy too much produce. Plan your meals and make detailed shopping lists.

2. Do not over serve food; This is a restaurant culture that is slowly finding its way into people's everyday lives. Try using smaller plates and always resist the temptation to serve over-sized portions.

3. Save leftovers and eat them the next day; Many people do this, but they just end up throwing them away after leaving them sitting in the fridge for a whole week. Label your leftovers so you can keep track of how long they've been there for.

4. Store food correctly in the right places; This causes the food last longer.

5. Treat expiration dates as guidelines; research has found that expiration dates identify food quality rather than food safety.

6. Donate to foodbanks and farms; Always be conscious before throwing away food, give it to people in need before disposing of it, you can also donate it to a local farm to feed livestock.

7. Use helpful apps and gadgets to manage your waste; some apps include Handpick, Ample harvest, Food Cowboy and Green Heart.

8. Try composting; you can compost certain foods and turn them into nutrient-rich fertiliser.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's food recovery hierarchy we should first focus on reducing the waste, then donate and try to feed livestock, then use waste for industrial energy and lastly compost. Many scientists say that composting is very valuable, especially if you have your own garden.

Master Chef Professional Final (UK)

Finals week started with a bang as fans still mourn over the loss of Matt Campbell, private chef and brilliant innovator.

So who is this Matt Campbell,  you ask? Well here is a quick recap; he's a 28yr old private chef from the Lake District, Scotland. After finishing second on BBC's Young Chef of the Year competition in 2009 he decided to leave the UK,  pursue a job in the French Alps and later on decided to become a private chef. Matt has gained influence in his cooking skills from all around the world. He spent eight years travelling the world and has put his culinary skills to good use across Europe, in private villas along the Cote d'Azur, bespoke culinary courses in India & Thailand and award winning luxury ski chalets. He was truly a high contender as Masterchef winner and will always be remembered as the chef who had the guts to make a vegan dish during semi-finals week.

Moving on to the Masterchef Finals, four chefs remain and only one can earn the title as Master Chef Champion. The four chefs still in the competition are Jamie Park, Craig Johnston, Louisa Ellis and Steven Lickley, all very promising chefs with brilliant ideas.

Left to right: Jamie, Louisa, Steven, Craig

In the first heat of the finals, the four contenders had to impress the crème de la crème of the culinary world. In true Masterchef style, they were thrown into a high pressure round where they each had the honour of cooking one course for a room full of Michelin starred chefs from across Britain. The renowned chefs were blown away with all four chefs and their abilities, they had nothing but praise to give to 3 of the 4 chefs.
The level of quality in all the dishes and the close competition demonstrates how the final heats are becoming tighter and tighter, as the final chef fights for their position in the Grand Finale. As Jamie said

[The finals are] massive. For me personally, for my career. Today is definitely the biggest day so far.  

The penultimate stage of the finals airs on Wednesday 20th December at 8:00PM British time, where we will find out which three chefs will survive this harsh scrutiny and who will have to leave. The remaining three will get to cook at one of the worlds best restaurants in, "Miramar", a two star restaurant on the Cote d'Azur, voted 35th best restaurant in the world in 2009.

Dine like kings in Valletta pt1

Valletta, colloquially known as 'Il-Belt' by the locals, is known for its spectacular night life throughout the year. What better way than to spend your night relaxing with a bottle of wine overlooking the harbour in the Upper Barrakka Gardens . I love walking around Valletta, getting lost in its beauty and serenity. Here are some tips on where to spend your nights in Valletta, where you can enjoy both its culture and energy at the same time.

If you are looking for an authentic plate of Roman style pasta make your way to Zero Sei, a small trattoria situated right near the Teatru Manoel. It is truly a slice of Rome on the Maltese islands, holding Rome's love and passion for food.

Every day we cook the original recipes of a tradition passed down from generation to generation, based on a source of rural and peasant origin. The Roman cuisine flavours are unmistakable: Strong and special flavours conceived of raw materials from the villages of the region.

They have authentic recipes and typical products that have made Roman cuisine famous all over the world. Also paying special attention to its selection of wines produced in the best Italian vineyards. If you fancy a pizza of the same style go to the newly opened restaurant by the same owners, Sotto Pizzeria. Found on the outskirts of Valletta in South Street, boasting its Italian roots, Sotto's pizzas are to die for, receiving a whopping 4.5 review on Trip Advisor. Many customers rave that it's the "best pizza in Malta".


Moving away from all those carbs is Sciacca Grill, a little bit on the expensive side but totally worth it. Named after the Sicilian Village, this Grill house goes beyond its culinary calling. Their meat is full of natural flavour as it melts in your mouth, the tastes are effortless and dance around your tastebuds.

Not to mention their broad Cocktail making skills, any drink you fancy, they'll make it. The first time I dined there, I asked for a Pornstar Martini. Honestly, they looked a bit confused and when it arrived it didn't come as traditionally made; the shot of Prosecco was in the drink as opposed to placed on the side separately. Nevertheless, when I took the first sip ... wow! The wave of passionfruit tingled my tastebuds, it's sourness and sweetness blended together making a perfect harmony.


This is just a taste of  "go-to" restaurants in Valletta. More on my next blog.

Here are some alternate blogs writing about these restaurants:
http://littlerock.com.mt/food/italian-restaurant-zero-sei-valletta/ 
https://www.restaurantsmalta.com/restaurant/zero-sei/
https://lovinmalta.com/restaurants/zero-sei

food, food and more food

Just to give a brief introduction about myself; my name is Julia. I am an 18 year old University student studying European studies and Communications at the University of Malta. You might be wondering right now, why food? Well, in all honesty, I am nowhere near qualified about anything having to do with food but it is a topic that interests me and many others. I feel like it is a growing topic that needs to be addressed in today's media and last but not least it is a great hobby of mine.

 I always loved food and always will. I was notoriously known for eating a burger bigger than my face at the age of three or, on a separate occasion, gobbling up my mothers 12 ravioli at a restaurant when she thought two would be more than enough to fill me. I describe food as a passion of mine. I love cooking, tasting the different cuisines but also criticising my creation, giving it space to improve itself.

As I grew older I started realising that food cannot be limited to one definition. The broad definition of food is to "fuel your body", this is what you are taught in school. Yes, I agree that it is the main aim but this is only the tip of the iceberg to what food really is, the definition is actually much much deeper then just this. If I were to create a list to what food is, I would say it delves into three aspects:

1. Biological : Which is the basic definition, "any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink to that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth"
2. Psychological : The emotion food gives you. It gives you pleasure! You binge eat when you are sad, watching a film, bored, stressed and more. It becomes an emotional addiction that is out of control and can also cause harm. 
3. Cultural : Food is part of ones cultural identity. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques, and types of food eaten at different meals vary among cultures. Therefore food tells a story about a culture's history. 

I'm sure there are many other aspects that go into food but I am not an expert, I'm not a food guru, I am only discussing from my own opinions and what I have realised over the years. I will discuss these three in more detail separately in different blogs.