A LUDLOW community cook has learned how to make the most of surplus food donations and minimise food waste after taking part in the Tesco Community Cookery School with Jamie Oliver.

Community cook Diane Garrini went on the course as Hands Together Ludlow are one of 7,000 charities and community groups to receive free surplus food from Tesco stores via food distribution charity, Fareshare under the supermarket's Community Food Connection scheme.

The cookery school, launched in January of this year, helps to provide the community cooks with the food knowledge to make use of whatever is in the donations that arrive at their kitchen door.

Training is free and attendees receive cooking equipment, plus a folder of Jamie's Oliver's recipes.

Diane Garrini said: "The day was extremely well organised and it was really useful to find out what other groups were doing out in the community.

"I came back with lots of ideas and had a rethink on how we can do things better, very inspirational."

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who has been working with Tesco, said: "This is exactly what this programme is all about, learning new skills in the kitchen that can be passed on, all while helping to fight food waste.

"We want to give loads more amazing community cooks the confidence to create delicious, balanced meals from food that would otherwise have been thrown away. It's about empowering charities with the knowledge and tools they need to help those who need it the most."

Tesco is planning to train 1,000 community cooks through the Tesco Community Cookery School in 2019 and have donated more than 60 million meals' worth of surplus food to date.