Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean is asking Bankies to turn down their ovens this festive period to reduce waste and produce the perfect roast.

Statistics show that the equivalent of 100,000 turkeys and roast joints will be thrown away in Scotland this Christmas.

Gary said: “Turkey is most likely to end up in the bin due to buying a bird that’s far too big or serving up a roast that’s dry and inedible from overcooking at high temperatures.”

The chef’s “top turkey tips” are simple: buy a smaller turkey, turn down your oven to cook your turkey for longer on a lower temperature, and get the most out of it by carving properly.

The Masterchef: The Professionals winner hopes the campaign will encourage Bankies to think twice about food waste as an estimated 60 million meals currently go uneaten every December.

Ylva Haglund, Food Waste Campaigns Manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We all have a tendency to overbuy at this time of year but just a few small changes can go a long way in reducing the amount of food waste generated over the festive season.”

Environment Cabinet Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “It’s shocking to think that 60 million meals will be needlessly thrown away in Scotland this month.”