Shirley Carter beat competition from other district winners to be named overall winner in the competition run by the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership to find inventive ways of using up leftover food.

Brought up during the Second World War, Shirley has a life-long habit of never wasting food and always has plenty of ideas for using up cold roasts, mince, bread and cheeses to make tasty meals.

Chairman of the Waste Partnership, County Coun Clare Wood, said: "We were impressed by the fact that a lot of people are using a little bit of planning and common sense to make the food they buy go a lot further

'inspirational recipes'

"The recipes are inspirational, but people also sent in a whole host of other tips including ideas for food storage and reusing the basics for things like soup stocks as they are cooked during the week."

As the overall winner, Shirley Carter received vouchers for cooking equipment as well as a goody bag of kitchen items to help keep food fresher for longer.

For recipes using food leftovers, go to www.letstalkrubbish.com.