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Local Food Links strikes gold with Taste of the West

22 Jun 2020
Acclaimed Dorset school meals caterer, Local Food Links, has been awarded a Gold Taste of the West Award for its Smokey Sausage and Bean Cassoulet and Sunshine Rice. Bridport Kitchen Manager, and BBC Chef of the Year 2019 finalist, Ashley Painter devised the recipe which will be featured on school menus next term.

As a Dad as well as a school meals chef, Ashley understands the importance of making food appealing to children.  He is also keen that children know where their food has come from and that they experiment with new tastes.  His menu combines a farm to fork story with locally sourced ingredients to create a delicious one-pot meal incorporating a 5-a-day rainbow of vegetables.  

Ashley commented “I am very proud that we have been awarded a Gold Taste of the West award.  We know that children love sausages and beans and I was keen to transform these familiar and favourite flavours to encourage them to fall in love with vegetables and think about local produce.  We are lucky to live in a fantastic food producing area and we must support our local businesses in these challenging times.”  

Local Food Links - an independent caterer and a not-for-profit social enterprise that supplies 3,700 meals a day to 55 schools in Dorset, Somerset and Devon - is also thrilled to have once again been recognised as one of the Top 100 social enterprises in the NatWest SE100 Index 2020.  Chief Executive, Caroline Morgan said “We’re proud to be a business for good and look forward to all our schools fully reopening when it’s safe to do so – Pupils are in for a treat with this award-winning dish.”