With the UK in a cost of living crisis and inflation at a high, it is important to save money where possible. With just a few easy hacks, celebrity chef Tom Kerridge told Express.co.uk how they can cut their food costs.
Saving money on food can starts even before stepping into the supermarket, according to Tom.
The renowned chef told readers that in order to cut costs, "one of the big things is having a shopping list."
Heading into the supermarket blindly without any idea of what they are going to buy is how people end up spending more than they need to.
Thinking in terms of meals can help shoppers avoid buying random ingredients they don't need or worse still - won't use.
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Tom suggested: "Know what you're going to cook over the next five or seven days.
"Building together the recipes you're going to cook, and only buy what you need - a little bit of structure works really well."
Indeed, coming home to a meal that is more or less ready and just needs heating up is one way to curb those takeaway temptations.
It may also mean less spontaneous trips to the supermarket for a ready meal.
As for Tom's top ingredient for saving money, the chef recommends mince for the meat-lovers out there.
He stated: "Mince is an affordable protein and you can create loads of fantastic dishes with it."
Some of Tom's favourites are Bolognese, sauces, shepherd's pie, cottage pie, chilli or burgers - but there's also meatballs, lasagne and some curries.
"I like to roast it in the oven until it goes really crispy and dark."
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He continued: "Once it goes all crispy, you can keep it in a Tupperware in the fridge to use later or use straight away.
"Once you add it to a sauce, it rehydrates, but you've already got that really concentrated flavour."
Tom's final tip for saving money on food was to "buy twice the amount" at the supermarket - "if you can".
This may mean spending more in the short term, but in the long run this is an excellent money saver if done properly.
"Batch-cook meals like shepherd's pie or soups to keep in the freezer to save on utilities."
Meal prepping means doing less dishes daily, so your dishwasher will thank you.
Using the microwave to reheat meals also takes pressure off the hob and oven, which will also contribute to a reduction in energy bills.
Tom concluded: "A little bit of structure will help save a few pennies which turn to pounds.
Tom Kerridge has teamed up with M&S to create a handy Remarksable Value meal planner using Remarksable Value ingredients.
His "five all-taste, low-waste family recipes" can further help cut food shopping costs.