The G8 world food summit turned into a Gee Ate gathering last night when political leaders and their spouses tucked into an 18-dish banquet, reports London Editor John Hipwood.

After lecturing the British people about wasting food, Gordon Brown joined his fellow leaders in the lavish meal just hours after a six-dish “working” lunch.

The dinner included delicacies such as corn-stuffed caviar, sea urchin, milk-fed lamb, and, ironically, a G8 “fantasy dessert”.

It was all washed down with grand cru champagne, burgundy, Californian and Hungarian wines.

The menu at the summit in the mountains on Hokkaido in Japan was created by Katsuhiro Nakamura, the first Japanese chef to win a Michelin star, and its theme was Hokkaido: blessings of the earth and the sea.

Apparently, the leaders of the world’s richest nations saw no irony in being seen tucking into such fare after scratching their heads about what to do about world food shortages, higher food prices and the threat of starvation in African countries including Zimbabwe.

Mr Brown had earlier repeated his call for greater prudence in UK kitchens after a report by the Cabinet Office said that households were wasting 4.1 million tonnes of food every year.

Dominic Nutt of Save the Children, said: “It is deeply hypocritical that they should be lavishing course after course on world leaders when there is a food crisis and millions cannot afford a decent meal.” The cost of the summit has been estimated at nearly £300 million.

Shadow international development secretary Andrew Mitchell attacked the summit’s “excessive cost and lavish consumption”.

Britain is fulfilling its commitment at the summit at Gleneagles three years ago to increase aid to the world’s poorest countries, and to Africa in particular.

But other nations are not delivering, and Mr Mitchell said: “All of us are watching, waiting and listening.”

Last night’s meal was served at the Windsor Hotel where the G8 leaders are staying. The charge for the presidential suite comes in at £7,000 a night.

By London Editor John Hipwood