A thrifty bride and groom were able to feed their 140 wedding guests for just £5 a head by using food destined for landfill to create an inventive menu.

Newly-weds Cherie Harris, 36, and Jaimes Mainwaring, 29, enlisted the help of food waste charity The Real Junk Food Project to create a menu made up entirely food heading for the bin.

The green-minded couple wanted their wedding to have as little mark on the environment as possible - and they did this by leaving no food waste.

The pair did not tell their guests who provided the catering for their wedding last Saturday, at their reception at the pretty East Keswick Village Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Cherie Harris, 36, and Jaimes Mainwaring, 29, were able to feed their 140 wedding guests for just £5 a head by using food destined for the landfill

The happy couple did other bits for their environment with Cherie wearing a dress that was lined with material made from bamboo pulp, and also made all her own invites and decorations.

Their eco-friendly options meant they were able to get costs down with the wedding breakfast costing around £5 a head and then the evening food an additional £3.

Cherie, who worked as a carer until she went on maternity leave after the birth of their little girl, Iona, 15 weeks ago, said: 'We wanted the food to speak for itself.

'We did not tell our guests what they were eating until the speeches.

The green-minded couple enlisted the Real Junk Food Project to create their wedding menu, using ingredients that supermarkets would get rid of. Pictured: A platter of cold meats and cheeses

The couple are unable to pre-select a menu as the available ingredients depends on what is dropped off at the warehouse that day. Pictured: Mexican tortilla cups and a salad spread

The wedding buffet Food is collected from supermarkets, sandwich chains and fast food outlets, using food they would have to throw out because of their own health and safety regulations. Starter Stuffed olives Platter of cold meats Cheese board Mexican tortilla cups Main course Spinach and chickpea curry Chicken and bacon pies Sausage and bean cassoulet Ratatouille Mixed grains salad with peas Beetroot and chickpea salad Dessert Selection of Greggs donuts and pastries Advertisement

'They were very surprised but also very impressed. The food was absolutely beautiful and really made our day. We could not have asked for anything better.'

In fact, the beauty of a spread delivered by the Real Junk Food Project (RJFP) is that the customer never really knows what they are going to get.

It is all down to the luck of what comes into the warehouse.

The RJFP food is collected from supermarkets, sandwich chains and fast food outlets, using food they would have to throw out because of their own health and safety regulations.

All this food is still perfect for human consumption and they are not breaking any laws by feeding guests with it.

They use the food to cater nationally for events, feed customers in pay-as-you-feel cafes, stock pay-as-you-feel supermarkets and supply food for schools.

Events Co-ordinator of RJFP Leeds, Emma Buckle, said the charity would be aware they have a wedding on their books so will do their best to freeze any food they wish to put away for the wedding. Cherie booked the catering for her own wedding a year ago.

The couple provided a Gregg's donut tower covered in day-old treats for dessert

Other than that the charity rely a lot on 'praying to the food fairies' for certain ingredients to come in. 'And it usually does,' said Emma.

CHERIE AND JAIMES' WEDDING COSTS Dress - £655 Food (day) - £571 Food (evening) - £300 Advertisement

The menu they create for the special day is made entirely from junk food, not a single ingredient, be it spice or grain of salt, is ever purchased.

Cherie and saxophonist James' who plays for the popular band Roller Trio, own menu featured a mix of veggie, vegan and meat feasts for their friends.

The mother-of-one, from Leeds, said: 'When we looked at other food options you can find that menus are rather limited, with the RJFP the possibilities are endless.

Cherie (pictured with her daughter Iona) wore a dress that was lined with material made from bamboo pulp

Cherie described the food cooked by chefs on the day as 'beautiful, original and delicious'

WHAT IS THE REAL JUNK FOOD PROJECT? Britain throws away 15 million tonnes of food a year, the worst offender in the EU. In response Adam Smith set up his food campaign the Real Junk Food Project in 2013 with the aim of abolishing surplus food. In 2016 the company unveiled their first warehouse in Pudsey, near Leeds, where people purchase snacks on a 'pay as you feel' basis. Founder Adam called it an 'anti-supermarket' because the majority of the food is intercepted from the big chains before it is thrown away. Although the food may be out-of-date, it is perfectly safe to eat. Adam, allows people to pay for the food by not just money, but by volunteering to help out with the scheme. The initiative started as 'boutiques' or food waste stalls selling produce in Real Junk Food Project cafes. There are now 126 'pay as you feel' cafes in the UK and across the world. The Real Junk Food Project receives on average between two and 10 tonnes of food at its warehouse on Grangefield Industrial Estate every day. The supermarket has deals with retail giants such as Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Ocado, and also works with local allotments, cafes, food banks and caterers. Real Junk Food Project also delivers surplus bread, fruit, vegetables and dairy products to schools in its 'Fuel For School' project. The food, which may otherwise have gone to the skip, is used to feed 12,000 children a week. Advertisement

'You get a range of food that is beautiful, original and delicious.'

Their guests were spoiled with meals concocted by excellent chefs used to thinking on their feet to prepare delicious food from waste.

Emma said: 'Our working conditions are like an episode of Ready Steady Cook..'

Saturday's guests were treated to a hot buffet for a sit-down wedding breakfast fit for kings.

They had spinach and chickpea curry, chicken and bacon pies, sausage and bean cassoulet, ratatouille, cold meats and pickles, a cheese board, oven roasted thyme and lemon chicken and tortilla cups filled with Mexican salad (pico de gallo) - all created from scratch by the RJFP team.

These were accompanied by a selection of tasty salads, pasta dishes and veggies. There were veggie cakes and a Gregg's donut tower for dessert.

Another benefit of using the RJFP is the cost - using food destined for landfill is relatively cheap.

Of course there still has to be payment for the food prep and staffing and collection costs but as their food has come free it means costs are low.

Prices start from a cold buffet costing as little as £5 a head, with a hot one costing £6 a head.

Emma said: 'This is food that really does not cost the earth.'

It is not only plastic waste that is bad for the environment. Even food, when it breaks down, emits greenhouse gasses, including carbon dioxide and methane.

The buffet on Saturday, going on 250g per person - which is not a lot - saved 35 kilos of waste - that's 66.5 kg of CO2 emissions, using the equivalent amount of energy of six days consumption of electricity for the average household.

Their wedding favours were seeds that their guests could plant and grow.

Cherie said: 'What is wonderful is that we were able to use our wedding to spread the word about food waste and make people think about using up their own leftovers.

'We cannot thank the team enough for making our day very special. We are so grateful.'