A KNUTSFORD chef will be showing the country how to save food in a TV appearance tomorrow night.

As much as half of the world’s food, amounting to two billion tonnes, ends up in the bin, a UK report has revealed.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers cited inadequate storage facilities, strict sell-by dates, bulk offers and consumer demands as reasons for the waste.

Knutsford chef Dave Mooney will be discussing the issue on a prime time ITV programme tomorrow.

Dave, who opened the Old Sessions House in Knutsford last year, appears on Tonight, which begins at 7.30pm.

He was asked to help a member of the public with her food shopping and show her ways to use as much of the food as possible.

“I went shopping with a lady called Carol, and made sure she bought correctly instead of buying too much and then planned a menu for her,” he said.

“It’s what we do in a commercial kitchen, and it is about planning what we want to buy rather than being seduced by the buy one get one free deals.

“With sell-by and use-by dates everyone gets paranoid, and what tends to happen is that if it gets to a day before that date people throw it out.

“It’s not the supermarkets’ fault, it’s a seduction exercise, and they do it to make sure you come back again.”

Dave got the call for the show from a producer who he worked with when he was a chef on Granada TV.

“They had legs of lamb and pork as BOGOF in the supermarket, but I said unless you have 12 kids you’re not going to get through it,” he added.

“The idea is to put it in the freezer, but people often don’t.

“I said to Carol that one chicken will make nine portions of food, but she said no chance, but took her hat off to me in the end.”

Find out how Dave got on by watching Tonight on ITV tomorrow at 7.30pm.