YOUNGSTERS will receive free school meals delivered to the doorstep throughout the holidays, catering bosses have said.

Ulverston-based Orian is now providing free meals to all pupils - including to schools which aren't currently supplied by the firm.

Bosses at the firm have also vowed to give free meals to children of keyworkers amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Only pupils in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, as well as children from lower-income homes, are entitled to free school meals, but Orian has extended this in a bid to support the local NHS.

Orian's account manager Len Irvine, who lives on Walney, said schools will not be invoiced directly and the firm will recoup compensation centrally.

"Our employees have been fantastic and have been volunteering to work throughout the Easter holidays when they wouldn't normally be working," Mr Irvine said.

Many schools are now working collaboratively to provide packed lunches to eligible pupils by delivering them direct to the door.

"We looked at trying to provide hot meals but because of the uncertainty of numbers on a daily basis and other issues we decided to opt for packed lunches," Mr Irvine, a dad-of-three, said.

The government sets a £2.30 price for each free school meal and has said schools which continue to provide free school meals during the lockdown will be compensated.

Orian normally supplies catering services to 150 schools in the county - around 30,000 pupils, and is now working closely with all hub schools to ensure youngsters continue to receive healthy lunches during the lockdown.

The firm, which has a base in Ulverston, employs around 1,600 employees across Cumbria, Lancashire and the North East.

Staff 'take over' a school's kitchen, providing the staff and food, while parents can choose from four different meal options using a bespoke mobile phone app.

"We only use fresh food, apart from for things like fish fingers, and our meals meet the government's nutrition guidelines," Mr Irvine added.