WHAT’S the beef, Britain? Dorset residents are being urged to Love Food Hate Waste and turn their leftovers into tasty meals.

People in the UK throw away 34,000 tonnes of beef every year, which is equivalent to 300 million beef burgers, according to figures released by Love Food Hate Waste.

The national campaign has joined forces with television presenter and farmer Adam Henson to launch the Meaty Issues campaign, calling on Britain to make the most of their meat.

Love Food Hate Waste research shows much of the waste, worth £260 million annually, could be avoided through taking small steps at home, like planning meals in advance, storing food better, understanding date labels, serving the right portions and cooking with leftovers.

Beef is really popular in our kitchens, with spaghetti bolognese was named the country’s favourite beef dish, as one in five Brits picked it as their most frequent beef dish to eat at home. This was followed by the traditional beef roast dinner and a steak dinner.

However, not everyone got around to using it up - one in six of those who bought beef said it had gone to waste as they left it to go past the use by date. Almost one in ten admitted they’d thrown it out after leaving it uncovered or in an open packet.

Only three out of ten people who buy beef plan meals in advance before shopping for it and just 19 percent make sure to check how much they have in the fridge before going to buy more.

Farmer and Countryfile presenter Adam Henson said: “As a farmer by trade, I’m passionate about the issue of wasted meat and how to minimise it.

“Beef is one of our favourite meats in the UK, and we really should be doing everything we can make the most of it once we’ve put it in our shopping trolleys.”

To find out more visit lovefoodhatewaste.co.uk/meaty-issues