Midlothian’s Catering Team powering hungry cyclists  

Midlothian hospitality was in full force this week with the council’s catering team planning to provide meals at Dalkeith High School for participants of the London Edinburgh London (LEL) cycling event.

Over 2000 cyclists

The event was planned to run between 3-8 August and is a 950 mile round trip between London and Edinburgh, with over 2000 participants from 57 countries.  

Dalkeith pit stop

As part of the route the event was scheduled to pass through Dalkeith where cyclists would be fed and refreshed and even offered a space to nap.

Ian - first and last to make it!

The first cyclist to arrive, New Zealander, Ian McBride, now living in London reached Dalkeith on Monday afternoon just before 2.00pm, while the rest of the pack were initially forced to halt in Yorkshire when the event was initially temporarily suspended due to Storm Floris.

Cancelled

As a result of the weather, the decision was taken last night to ultimately cancel the Scottish leg. For those cyclists keen to continue, the event was shortened, with cyclists heading back down south and unfortunately not able to make it to Dalkeith. That decision however doesn't diminish the planning and hard work the council's catering team had already put in to support the event.

Working 24 hours a day

The Midlothian Council Catering team was scheduled to work 24 hours a day over the three days during the summer holidays to ensure that breakfast, lunch and dinner was available for the riders. They didn’t just meet the challenge they had smashed it by creating a menu that was both nutritionally on point and proudly Scottish.

Vital support

Laura Massey-Pugh Dalkeith Controller for the event said: “Regardless of the Scottish leg eventually being cancelled, we are still very grateful for the council's support, without which it would have been difficult to plan for the event.”

Proud

Cllr Diane Alexander, Cabinet Member for Community Facilities, Climate Change and Environment was there to welcome Ian, who turned out to be the only rider able to make it to Dalkeith. She was very proud of the huge effort made by the catering team, especially as this was during their summer holidays. She said: “For riders, Dalkeith wasn’t just meant to be the halfway point - it was a psychological turning point. A place to pause, recharge, and remind themselves why they started. And at the heart of that recovery would have been our catering staff. Working through the night making sure every single cyclist had what they needed to get back on the road."

Funding

All costs were funded by the organisers of the London to Edinburgh bike race event.