BLACKBURN with Darwen Council is joining forces with MasterChef finalist Moonira Hinglotwala in a bid to tackle the borough’s food waste problem.

Figures show food waste accounts for almost half of what is sent to landfill sites in the borough and the average family in the UK throws away around £700 of edible food per year.

And now the council has issued advice from Moonira to residents on how they can be less wasteful with food.

The mum-of-two shot to fame in 2018 when she wowed judges, John Torode and Greg Wallace, with her Indian fusion cooking.

She’d had a very good teacher – her mother, who she used to watch from a stool in the family kitchen.

As the eldest of five siblings, Moonira would happily pitch in with the cooking – turning her hand to the families’ favourite Gujarati recipes, which had been lovingly passed down from her grandmother.

“It’s such a big problem,” Moonira said.

“And, as well as the huge impact it’s having on our environment, it’s sad to think so much food is wasted when some people don’t have anything at all.”

To cut down on the food she throws away each week, Moonira tries to avoid supermarkets.

“I try my very best to shop local,” she added. “I use shops that sell loose foods.

“Not only can I buy just enough of what I need, I can cut down on plastics and packaging and also support local businesses.”

Moonira, who scooped Woman of the Year at the 2018 Fusion Awards, also plans the meals she’s going to cook and makes sure she buys the right amount of ingredients that she needs.

“If there ever is any left over, we use it for lunches the next day,” she says.

“And, if I make a big batch of curry, then I’ll freeze it in case I’m ill or find that I’m really busy.”

For now, Moonira is passionate about educating others on food – how they can prepare healthy meals and reduce waste.

“For me it’s about small changes making a big difference,” she adds.

“If we all take just a little bit of time to think about the foods we are buying and the meals we are preparing, it could have a really big impact for our families and our futures.”