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World record smashed with 30-tonnes of surplus food

BBC Raj Singh wearing a blue coat and green turban is stood in the middle of the picture, with his arm resting on a pile of crates full of food to be packed into vans. In the background is the pitch and stands of Somerset County Cricket Club.BBC
Raj Singh praised the local community for their efforts

More than 30 tonnes of food that would have been wasted has been saved by a charity - which has broken a world record in the process.

The Thomas Franks Foundation made 80,000 fresh ready meals in 24 hours which are being distributed to local charities around Somerset.

The surplus produce was donated by restaurants and shops for the effort, which was close to going out of date or was no longer needed.

About 400 volunteers joined in the record attempt from local businesses and schools, packing boxes and getting the meals out to vans for distribution.

Two people filling plastic tubs with lentil dhal from a larger box. One the left is a teenage boy wearing a red hoody scooping the food into a tray, while on the right is a woman about to put a lid on a filled tub.
More than 400 volunteers helped the charities meet their target

The foundation's head of charity, Raj Singh, said the event, which was held at the Somerset County Cricket Ground in Taunton, was made possible by the generosity of the local community.

"Volunteers are the life blood of everything we do and this is community spirit really at its best," he said.

"We are a rich nation and food poverty is something that no one feels comfortable with and we feel we should highlight that ordinary people can do something if we get together and volunteer... we can actually tangibly make a difference."

Mr Singh added some of the produce had been donated by farmers, who may well have ploughed the products back into the field.

The meals cooked at the event will be distributed to 16 local Somerset charities, while more will be frozen and taken to other causes around the UK, in an effort to help people eat freshly cooked meals over the winter.

Mary Parsons is in the centre of the frame, wearing a green fleece jacket, surrounded by crates of food ready to be distributed. in the background is the cricket pitch and stands at Somerset County Cricket Club.
Mary Parsons sourced most of the food used in the challenge

Mary Parsons, head of food at the charity City Harvest, sourced most of the food being used in the record attempt.

She told BBC Radio Somerset that despite some of the food being past its best before date, its all "great quality".

Ms Parsons added: "There is a huge problem in this country at the minute with people not having enough money to buy food... so it's great to be involved with this and be able to do something.

"The winter months are coming, it's going to be cold, and people have to choose between heating their homes and eating and adding a family into that mix as well, it's a real struggle for a lot of people."

City Harvest will store some of the meals cooked in Taunton and distribute them to those who need them.

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