Bolton Council's school meal catering service scoops top award

The team beat off competition from East Dunbartonshire, Kirklees, Liverpool, Manchester, North Lincolnshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire councils to scoop the award. The team was praised for keeping meal expenditure to a minimum, free meal-take up and for sourcing food locally. Around 80% of ingredients for school dinners come from suppliers based in the area, compared with the national figure of 27%. Bolton Council's executive member for environmental services, councillor Akhtar Zaman, said: "We're so pleased to win this award and be recognised again at a national level for our work. "It's well deserved and a real testament to our catering and school staff and officers from the department." Children in 96 primary schools in Bolton have been enjoying meals for £1 since last January, following successful pilots since 2008 across two year groups.