Whether you prefer savoury or sweet, there is a perfect pancake recipe for you to download from the Recycle for Essex website

These fantastic recipes have been created as part of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which aims to raise awareness around reducing food waste.

For those with a sweet tooth there is a recipe for banana and yoghurt pancake with apple and berry compote, which is perfect for using leftover yoghurt and overripe bananas. You can also experiment by adding a few sultanas, flaked almonds or soft berries to the mix.

If you prefer something savoury there is chicken, mushroom, cheese and leek pancake with cheesy sauce, created by Essex chef and restaurateur Mark Baumann. This dish is a great way of using up leftover cooked chicken and vegetables.

Recycle for Essex also has lots of useful advice to help cut down the amount of food we throw away, including handy hints for storage and perfect portions.

Every year, 7.2 million tonnes of food gets thrown away in the UK, which has a serious impact on the environment. Rotting food in landfill produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Wasting food also hits our pockets: it costs the average family with children around £680 a year, or £50 a month.

County Councillor Kevin Bentley, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Waste said: “Pancake Day is the perfect time to make the most of those leftover food items we all have lurking in the cupboard or fridge. There are lots of ways that we can cut down on food waste, saving ourselves some money and helping the environment in the process.”

Below you can see Councillor Bentley and Mark Baumann cooking up a batch of savoury pancakes at a recent Love Food Hate Waste roadshow in Chelmsford.