Preparing and planning food and drink in advance for Christmas dinner can help cut down on food waste and reduce Christmas catering stress, according to Neil Nugent, executive chef at Waitrose.
The comments were made after a survey carried out on behalf of Waitrose revealed the top ten causes of Christmas meal stress. The number one cause of Christmas stress was wasted food, followed by kitchen mess and not having enough space around the table.
Mr Nugent said that consumers should be careful not to overbuy food at Christmas, adding that "being a bit frugal" helps save money and prevent waste.
He went on to say that consumers should also plan in advance to ensure they have everything they need.
"I wouldn't leave it until the last minute on Christmas eve because you are not going to get everything you need. I'd suggest shopping frugally, buy what you can now, pre-prepare some stuff and use the freezer so that you don't get loads of waste," he added.
According to Egg, the internet bank, three in four parents admit they spend more money than they can afford to on keeping the children entertained at Christmas.
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Posted by Jez Walters |