Meals on Wheels sold off
Polish, Turkish, Chinese, Cypriot and Caribbean dishes will all be on the menu after Walsall's meals on wheels service was officially taken over by a private company.
Sodexho has signed a three-year deal with a further two-year take-up option, worth £2.3 million, to take over the service from Walsall Council.
The company won the contract after a cook-off with other bidders and will start to deliver a mix of hot meals and frozen dishes to around 350 residents from December. The company will provide 175,000 lunches and dinners annually.
There will also be traditional roast dinners and vegetarian meals along with medical diet options. Kosher and Halal dishes will also be provided.
Kathy McAteer, acting social care executive director, said: "Walsall is proud to have a diverse community and the new service will ensure the provision of increased menu choice to accommodate minority groups."
Meals will be delivered in a fleet of vehicles which are able to heat the food en route. Moves to switch the meals on wheels service to a private provider have been controversial with concerns raised including the potential nutritional value of frozen meals.