A NEW chef has transformed a kitchen – and they are now selling out.

The kitchen at Millom Network Centre was 'running at a serious loss' until the business 'turned around' following the appointment of Richard Turner in June.

The centre was faced with a kitchen that was struggling and failing to cover their costs.

Even though they were still providing their vital Meals on Wheels Service, MNC were not making enough to improve or grow.

MNC set about re-inventing the kitchen, giving it its own identity and encouraging its growth.

Introducing a new cook was the best decision they could have made as Richard has lots of fresh ideas which he hopes to put into place soon.

The first thing he started that made a great impact was offering freshly made hot sandwiches to local factory workers. Selling bacon buns on-site has proved to be very popular.

Richard also added more baking to the menu. He has introduced a mixture of homemade sweet and savoury pastries, along with freshly baked cakes.

All of the food is handmade from scratch and is proving to be very popular as Richard regularly sells out.

After preparing and cooking the meals for the Meals on Wheels service, any surplus delicacies are then put into containers and sold at the Community Food Shop.

Selling everything left over at the shop at Unit 3 Devonshire Industrial Estate ensures there is no waste and increases the amount of income for the kitchen. 

The kitchen’s success also helps to raise funds for MNC so that they can continue offering their services to the local community.

Sue Dust from Millom Network Centre said: “The amount of support that Richard and MNC have received for this has been overwhelming and very deeply appreciated by all.

“Our mission is to make the kitchen self-sustainable; it is driven to ensure high standards are always at the forefront and we are immensely proud of the level 5 rating our kitchen holds.

“The whole of MNC is excited to see what the future holds.”