DINNER ladies and catering teams have been refining their cooking skills preparing for the new term.

City Catering Southampton has rallied its team of senior school kitchen staff for a huge training day to ensure they are top of the class.

The company organised the event to refresh its catering teams, review menu recipes and bring some of the city’s favourite dinner ladies up-to-date with its latest menus.

It featured workshops based on kitchen management, customer service, and personal professional development.

Company CEO Steve Price said: “Every year we provide nearly two million freshly-cooked meals to our clients so we understand the value of investing time in our workforce. It is important to provide them with the training they need to continue delivering the highest standards of service to our valued customers.

“The day was really rewarding. It’s been great to see our staff preparing to welcome the children back to school for their new term with such enthusiasm.”