Couple Feed Wedding Guests For Just £5 A Head – Using 'Waste Food'

It goes without saying that wedding days don't come cheap: from the venue hire to the dress to feeding your guests...

But one couple found an inventive way to cut the cost of their celebration without sacrificing on quality

Kayley and Joe Tilson opted to feed their 280 guests a wedding breakfast made entirely from food intended for the waste bin - and nobody was any the wiser during the big day held at Victoria Hall, Saltaire in West Yorkshire.

While the term might conjure up an image of mouldy veg and stale bread, attendees were actually treated to a huge banquet of sea bass, sea bream, pork ribs, ox and chicken, alongside a whole array of veggie and vegan options that would have otherwise been chucked in the bin.

And the guests lapped it up, with Joe revealing that the response was "incredible" and many even popped back up to the buffet for second and even third helpings.

The couple decided not to tell anybody about the thrifty move until after they'd already started eating, and they were so shocked they let out "huge gasps" when they learnt the origins of their banquet.

The innovative catering was provided by The Real Junk Food Project, a Wakefield based organisation that runs "pay-what-you-like" cafes and a 'social supermarket', all of which sell intercepted food from cafes, restaurants and supermarket that would have otherwise been binned.

The organisation's catering arm, Zelig, provided the food, which included a selection of canapes served in recyclable cardboard packaging.

Kayley told the BBC: "The average wedding breakfast can cost up to £25 per person or more, so with nearly 300 mouths to feed it made sense"

While the move undoubtedly saved Joe and Kayley a few bucks, they also chose to cater with food waste to do their bit for the environment.

"We will always be creative about what we can cook from leftovers to avoid throwing them away," she added.

"So the idea really combined our morals with the logistics of catering for so many people."

Considering it's environmentally friendly, delicious and cost effective, there doesn't really seem to be a down side.

Featured Image Credit: Guzelian Ltd

Topics: Tasty Food, Food & Drink, Wedding

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Pretty 52 who loves writing about all things food, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. She also has a particular interest in women's issues.

@joannafreedman