Would you buy misshapen fruit and vegetables?

Jamie Oliver, who has led the campaign for improved school meals, is turning his attention to a campaign encouraging shoppers to buy “crooked” carrots, knobbly pears and wonky potatoes, in an effort to reduce food waste.

“If most Brits had half an idea of the amount going to waste, they’d be snapping up ugly veg by the trolley load,” Oliver said. “There’s no difference whatsoever in taste or nutritional value. This is perfectly good food that could and should be eaten by humans. When half a million people in the UK are relying on food banks, this waste isn’t just bonkers – it’s bordering on criminal.”

Misshapen fruit and vegetables in Asda’s new Beautiful on the Inside range will be bagged separately and sold for 30% less than their “perfect” peers, as the supermarket hopes to educate shoppers on the benefits of “buying ugly” while also supporting farmers.