About LFL
History
Local Food Links was established in 1999 by the West Dorset Food and Land Trust, a registered charity and local community organisation, to run Farmer’s Markets and other food initiatives. These initiatives included Bridport Food Festival, the Grow It, Cook It, Eat It Project, cookery workshops and an NVQ training in Catering for young people.
We also set up a hot meals service for schools and nurseries operating from the kitchen of our established Centre for Local Food. This was a major evolution in school meal catering, which today is dominated by industrial scale contract caterers that supply schools across the UK.
Local Food Links today
Local Food Links now focuses on our school meals service. Our kitchens in Bridport, Blandford and Weymouth provide freshly prepared meals daily to over 50 schools and nurseries.
Not For Profit
Local Food Links Ltd is a community owned social enterprise.
So what does that mean? Basically, we’re a not for profit organisation. That means all the money we bring in from supplying meals is invested back into the company.
Of course, we have to pay suppliers, salaries and other bills, but the money that’s left over goes back into supporting our work – which is to bring healthy local food to more children and support local businesses.
Work With Us
To review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants please click here. This explains how your personal data is collected and processed when you apply for roles at Local Food Links.
Useful Links
About free school meals
Dorset County Council free school meals
See if you’re eligible to get free school meals for your children if they’re in year 3 and above.
Healthy eating
Change4Life
Help to get children moving more and eating well.
Dorset Sustainable Palm Oil Community
Local Food Links support the use of sustainably sourced ingredients including the use of sustainably sourced palm oil and palm derivatives. When we use palm oil, we commit to using sustainably sourced palm oil or palm derivatives. There are a number of supply chain options to demonstrate the use of 100% sustainable palm oil and therefore compliance, which are approved by the RSPO. We are therefore committed to asking for and purchasing ingredients with sustainable palm oil only. We know that by doing this we are helping to support livelihoods, flight climate change and protect wildlife around the world from the impact of unsustainable agricultural practices.
Local Food Links has become a Dorset Sustainable Palm Oil Champion and has audited all suppliers to check that only sustainable palm oil products are being used.
29 April 2022