Marc West visits the latest Disco Soupe event to see how it is raising awareness of making the most of the food on offer

AS HALLOWEEN rapidly approaches, the supermarkets are already chock full of pointy hats, ghoulish masks and plump pumpkins.

But, do you know the scary truth about the seasonal large vegetable? After all the traditional fun is over, a whopping 18,000 tonnes of the foodstuff is thrown away every year – enough to otherwise make 360 million portions of delicious pumpkin pie.

These figures speak for themselves about the awful problem of food waste in this country alone. Good Food Oxford are pleased to report that our county does do better than the national average when it comes to cherishing the food on our plates. However, we could always do so much more and a conglomerate of passionate activists are doing their little bit to reverse this big issue – with a commitment to providing healthy, fair and environmentally friendly food for all.

With over 100 volunteers operating seven days a week, Oxford Food Bank collects good quality fresh produce, that would otherwise be thrown away, from local wholesalers, supermarkets and manufacturers for delivery to charity organisations – all for free. In turn, not-for-profit community harvest and forage groups like Abundance Oxford are able to host regular events across the city to raise awareness, find positive solutions to surplus and, ultimately, squash food waste.

Based on the community kitchen model set up following the Great Depression, Disco Soupe events are all about reclaiming the likes of this weekend’s carve-and-chuck commodity as the delicious, versatile and long-lasting veg it really is and using it wisely to feed bellies and not bins. Mixing up the tunes alongside the flavours creates the sights, sounds and smells you’d expect from carnival – with volunteers ready to chop, cook and eat to the disco beat.

Judging by the ever-positive reaction from the public, it’s easy to see how all this tireless campaigning is bringing about the small changes that will make a big difference for good. And, believe me, it also feels good to be an active part of that change. In addition, the group feeds many hundreds of people each and every time and all volunteers are rewarded for their efforts with their own steaming hot bowl of delicious homemade soup – perfect nourishment for a chilly autumnal day.

If you’d like to get involved, the group’s next event is this Saturday from 5pm at Donnington Doorstep Family Centre in East Oxford’s Townsend Square. Pumpkin Fest is a celebration of all things autumn – including craft activities for children, live music from The Jesters and, of course, delicious treats all cooked up using local food surplus.

For all details, visit abundanceoxford.wordpress.com