Food surpluses are inevitable in our consumer-led society. Food waste isn’t | Jane Marren

Beer made from old bread; chutney from windfalls; shops that sell excess stock at cut prices - there are many ways to tackle the scourge of squandered food

If they think about it at all, most people think of food waste, or surplus, as the "reduced to clear" section in the supermarket. But that is just a tiny fraction of what exists. The truth is that most food surpluses in the supply chain never even reach our supermarket shelves.

Let me take you back to the Queen's diamond jubilee in 2012. What a glorious weekend we were planning - barbecues, street parties and garden games, while we watched the 1,000-strong flotilla cruise down the Thames. Retailers had been planning for months, ensuring that their manufacturers and suppliers had a bumper supply of burgers, sausages, Pimms, cucumber and fruit ready to meet demand.

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