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

Pastry and leftovers

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.

What you’ll bring with you, create and take home: Pastry and leftovers – the ultimate kitchen transformation

There’s something absolutely magical about homemade pastry filled with delicious leftovers – it’s like edible alchemy that turns your wallet-friendly finds AND random bits into proper showstoppers.

What exactly are these pastry heroes? We’re talking about the wonderful world of pasties, turnovers, hand pies, and parcels – those gorgeous golden pastry cases that can wrap around literally anything delicious. Whether it’s a traditional Cornish pasty, elegant puff pastry parcels, or rustic hand pies, pastry is your ultimate leftover rescue vehicle. Think flaky, buttery cases that transform humble ingredients into something you’d be proud to serve at any table.

Here’s the beautiful thing about pastry-making with leftovers: it’s basically the art of giving yesterday’s dinner a glamorous makeover. Got some leftover Sunday roast and vegetables? Perfect pasty filling! Picked up some yellow-sticker meat or reduced vegetables? Even better. Those bits of cheese, cooked potatoes, leftover curry, or that stew that’s too good to waste – they’re all pastry gold waiting to be wrapped up and transformed.

The best part? You can make beautiful, portable meals that turn leftovers into something completely new and exciting. Perfect for packed lunches, picnics, or when you want to impress guests with your clever cooking skills!

And can we talk about how satisfying pastry-making is? You’re learning a proper traditional skill while getting amazing value from ingredients that might otherwise go to waste. They freeze brilliantly, travel well, and honestly make you look like a pastry wizard even when you’re just being clever with leftovers.

You’ll learn to make proper pastry from scratch and discover endless ways to transform leftovers into beautiful baked parcels, taking home your own creations plus the skills to never see leftovers the same way again.

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.

Please book one space per attendee, this helps us to gather accurate data, these can be booked and managed separately using the same email address.

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.