CHILDREN in Blackburn and Darwen will get the best school dinners in Lancashire if a new catering boss has her way.

Kath Booth has been given the job of running the school dinner service in the two towns from next April.

She is planning to offer youngsters the type of food they like but also provide them with a healthy diet.

The recently formed catering services division takes over when Blackburn with Darwen Council becomes an education authority in April.

And Mrs Booth, who moved from Rochdale Council, wants to meet parents, governors and teachers in a bid to find out what improvements they want to see made.

Kath, from Clitheroe, said: "I am aware that schools and parents want good value for money and we will be working hard with everyone concerned in order to take advantage of this opportunity to improve."

Direct services chairman Dave Smith added: "This is a tremendous opportunity to show what our direct services department can do compared to the private sector.

"The Government has recently abolished Compulsive Competitive Tendering for school services and we are keen to take advantage of this new flexibility."

All the staff who worked for Initial Catering Services, the company which ran school meals in Blackburn and Darwen, will be taken on by the new unitary authority.

The council main aim is to ensure the transfer and running of the school meals service goes as smoothly as possible.

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