VISITORS to the York Festival of Food & Drink were set to be told a load of rot today.

For vegetable peelings, fruit flesh and tea bags were on the menu, alongside dishes by world-renowned chefs, as City of York Council promoted a home composting scheme.

York Rotters, a band of council-trained volunteers, showed festival visitors how they can reduce household waste by up to a third by purchasing a discounted compost bin.

Coun Andrew Waller, a "rotter" himself and executive member for the environment, is inviting people to a composting demonstration in his back garden at 104 Askham Lane, Acomb, tomorrow, at 6pm.

More information about the Rotters can be obtained by phoning 01904 551503 or emailing recycling.team@york.gov.uk

Food fans are also being given the opportunity to learn more about the city's long culinary history with a new walking tour which has been set up by 23-year-old entrepreneur, Matthew Greenwood, and his father, Keith.

The pair have just launched Exploring Food to coincide with the festival of food and drink. Their tours start from St Helen's Square at 11am, 2pm and 5pm each day.

Participants visit a variety of food establishments around the city over two hours, during which they learn about how and why the businesses were set up and the produce on offer.

The tours will continue on Thursday to Saturday, at 11am and 2pm, once the festival has finished until Christmas and will then resume in January. They cost £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children.

Meanwhile, York MP Hugh Bayley has backed a new scheme to give all four to six-year-olds a piece of fruit and veg at school each day.

Schools in York and North Yorkshire will start the Department of Health-funded initiative next month, which is due to run until March 2006.

Mr Bayley, who helped set up the healthy eating scheme when he was a government minister, said it was particularly welcome at a time when people are concerned about obesity.

"Schools have an important role to play in children's eating habits," he said.

Updated: 10:02 Tuesday, September 14, 2004