Sunday 2 November, 2-5pm – Rampton Village Hall
Waste not want not!
Having harvested the pumpkins we grew on the recreation ground wildflower meadow – to denutrify the soil and enhance wildflower growth next year – we didn’t want to waste them, but what to do with them?
Luckily Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service, in the shape of Vicky Lacey – Waste Projects Officer – Communications, came to their rescue. Vicky suggested organising an event to demonstrate that pumpkins are edible by asking Cambridge Sustainable Food (CSF) to make them into a delicious feast.
CSF did us (and the pumpkins) proud, producing a mouth-watering pumpkin afternoon tea for our 50 or so visitors. Not only that, they arranged for *Rowen Halstead, a Michelin-trained chef, to come along and do a live cookery demo, demonstrating how every part of the pumpkin is edible. Rowen made pumpkin soup from the flesh, pumpkin pesto from the seeds and pumpkin marmalade from the skin accompanied by ricotta made from milk and lemon juice. Magical!
As well as CSF’s ‘pay-as-you-feel’ café, there were activities which kept the dozen or so children engaged.
New weekly food waste collection
Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Services (GCSWS) staff were on hand to talk to visitors about the new weekly collection of food waste being introduced across the Greater Cambridge area in 2026 and to show people the new food bins.
In the news
It was great to see Vicky’s write up of the event together with photos published by the Cambridge Independent newspaper on 5 November. Vicky’s article can also be read on the council’s website: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/news/community-festival-in-rampton-highlights-no-waste-pumpkin-cuisine
This event was a collaboration between GCSWS, CSF and Sustainable Rampton.
*Rowen has an article about reducing food waste, including recipes for Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Soup on pages 4 & 5 of the Cambridge County Council’s Autumn 2025 Waste Education Service Newsletter.
