British restaurants waste 600,000 tonnes of food annually

Which means half a kilo of food is wasted every time someone eats out, The Independent wrote quoting a survey. Nearly one-third of all wasted food comes back from customers' plates, suggesting that British restaurateurs are following the lead set by their American counterparts and serving portions that are too large.

The bulk of the rest is thrown away during the preparation stage, according to a report published by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).

Simon Heppner, the SRA's managing director, said not all of the country's 27,000 restaurants were equally careless: "There's definitely a difference between different types of restaurant. Independents want to put more on plates to show they are offering good value."

Meanwhile big chains have quietly trimmed back the amount they dish up in an attempt to save money. Food waste has become a hot issue in recent years. British households throw away 12 million tonnes every year, at a cost of 12 billion pounds.