Waste not, want not workshop series: Transforming the way you think about food and the seasons.

Budget festive: Prepare and freeze

Get organized, save money, and enjoy a stress-free festive period! Learn how to batch cook and freeze festive meals in advance, using budget-friendly ingredients and clever techniques.

What you’ll learn

The festive season doesn’t have to break the bank or leave you exhausted in the kitchen on the day. In this practical workshop, you’ll discover how to prepare meals in advance, freeze them properly, and have everything ready to simply reheat when you need it. Learn batch-cooking techniques that maximize flavour while minimizing cost, understand proper freezing methods to keep food fresh, and discover how strategic make-ahead planning transforms cooking from stressful to genuinely enjoyable.

Why This Workshop?
✓ Budget-conscious — Stretch your festive budget further with clever cooking
✓ Stress-free festive season — Prepare in advance, enjoy on the day
✓ Time-saving — No last-minute panic or all-day cooking
✓ Waste reduction — Use seasonal ingredients efficiently and avoid last-minute waste
✓ Quality food — Proper batch cooking and freezing means delicious, nutritious meals
✓ Feed more, spend less — Stretch ingredients to feed the whole family affordably
✓ Practical skills — Learn techniques that work year-round, not just the festive period

Workshop details

Grow, Cook, Share, Care is a Hands of Hope programme engaging vulnerable groups, those with complex needs, families, especially those living in food poverty, and older people, in learning, wellness and social activities aligned to growing, cooking, and nature.

Suitable for all. Priority for spaces will be given to people meeting the criteria: aged over 50, young carers and young adults with learning disabilities.

There is no charge for this workshop, donations are always welcome!

Please ensure you arrive ten minutes before the start time to ensure we can get everyone registered, and please bring a container to take your home your goodies.

Each participant must book individually so we can monitor eligibility and ensure we’re fully prepared for everyone attending the workshop.

Every year in the UK, we throw away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste – much of it perfectly good produce that simply wasn’t used in time. Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to rise, and many of us are looking for practical ways to make our food budget stretch further while eating well.

Over a series of two hour workshops, you’ll learn time-tested techniques for preserving seasonal produce – whether it’s from your garden, local markets, or those yellow-sticker bargains that represent genuine savings and rescue perfectly good food from unnecessary waste.

Eating seasonally isn’t just about saving money or reducing waste (though it does both beautifully). Seasonal eating connects us to the natural rhythms of the year, often provides better nutrition and flavour, and supports local growers and sustainable farming practices. When we preserve food at its peak, we capture not just its taste, but its nutritional value too.

By the end of each workshop, you’ll have the confidence to turn surplus into treasure – transforming those “too good to waste” moments into a well-stocked cupboard that serves you year-round.