THOUSANDS of hot school meals were delivered to pupils as the service resumed after half term across Dorset following its troubled start.

Meal provider Chartwells delivered hot food to around 75 schools on Monday, without any major problems, and are expected to provide food to more than 100 schools across the whole county today.

In September, head teachers and staff were forced to buy takeaways and sandwiches for pupils when Chartwells failed to deliver promised hot school meals to infants across the conurbation.

They blamed a fire next door to their Ferndown kitchens in June for the problems.

As reported in the Echo, schools across West Dorset felt the effects of the issues, with head of Cheselborne School Bob Duffin branding it a ‘fiasco.’ He said it was ‘unacceptable’ and ‘really shoddy treatment.’ Piddle Valley First School and Greenford C of E school in Maiden Newton also experienced problems. But yesterday, 7,768 meals were delivered across Dorset without any major hitches.

Minor complaints included the food arriving 15 minutes early at one school, and not enough peas at another.

At Ferndown First School, where nearly 120 pupils had hot lunches, head teacher Jo Di-Pede said she was really pleased with how it had gone.

“Clearly at the beginning of term there were some substantial issues but I am quietly confident that everything has gone to plan today.

“All we can do is look forward to the resumption of good service that we were guaranteed at the beginning.

“The quality of the food is good and I have noticed a difference in terms of the way the food was delivered to schools.”

Dorset’s cabinet member for education and communications, Cllr Toni Coombs, visiting Ferndown First School, said: “There was obviously a certain amount of trepidation given the problems before half term.

“However, just seeing the faces and the empty trays, I think it’s gone well.

“The food has been delivered at every school and with more than 10,000 meals due to provided on Tuesday, I am pleased with how it has gone.”

Staff from Chartwells were not present at the school and have declined requests for visits from the media.

Cllr Coombs added: “It is disappointing. We have tried to talk to them about the benefits of being more open but they are a commercial company and that is their decision.”

l AT Chartwells’ new premises in Poole, a dozen or so hire vans were lined up yesterday to transport the meals. The unremarkable building lacks signage and is on the industrial estate at Balena Close, off Cabot Lane.

The Echo asked to see some of the new kitchens or speak to a member of the management team, but were politely advised to refer our enquiries to the media team.

We saw waiting vans, and a few boxes marked up with details of their contents and intended school destinations – and glimpsed hair-netted staff busy working behind a closed door.

They were not keen to talk to us – but one said things were going well and they hoped all the deliveries had made it out on time.