WHAT began as soup and a roll and a slice of cake one day a week at Bridport Primary School has grown into a social enterprise supplying thousands of hot school meals every day to more than 30 schools across Dorset.

Dorset catering company, Local Food Links (LFL), has served up millions of school meals since it was founded in 2006.

Currently the company is serving around 3,000 freshly prepared hot school meals every day to 33 schools across Dorset, from four kitchens based in Bridport, Dorchester, Blandford and Shillingstone.

And 78 per cent of ingredients are purchased from Dorset suppliers.

LFL has big aspirations for the future and plans to be supplying to even more schools over the next 10 years.

Celebrations of the company’s achievements will kick off with a 10th birthday menu on Friday, January 13.

Pupils will enjoy roast beef and Yorkshire pudding or homity pie followed by a birthday cupcake. Each pupil will also be given a special edition 10th birthday recipe book featuring 10 LFL recipes to take home, enabling them to enjoy fabulous food at weekends and in the school holidays whilst also learning to cook.

Chief executive of LFL, Caroline Morgan said: “It has been privilege to play a part in bringing hot school meals back to many Dorset schools over the last 10 years. We have developed an innovative and sustainable local model and become an expert in provision for small schools, which has enabled us to contribute to and influence the national approach.

“LFL is also celebrating reaching the South West Regional Finals of the 2017 School Chef of the Year competition for the second time. Cook Tracy Dawson will be competing against six other school cooks on January 11 and hopes to impress judges with an aromatic beef curry followed by a strawberry dream.”

Tracy added: “I am very proud and happy to have got through to the South West Regional Final for the second time and am very excited about it. Last time was very enjoyable and I thoroughly loved the experience of developing my own recipes and seeing them come to life.”

For more information visit localfoodlinks.org.uk