MANCHESTER UNITED is swooping on Salford to make some tasty signings.

The club boasts some of the finest cuisine in the Premiership, serving up 4,000 hot meals on a match day in function rooms and 200 executive boxes.

Despite skipper Roy Keane attacking some supporters last season for being ''prawn sandwich munchers'' they intend to stay at the top of the corporate hospitality stakes.

The Reds reckon that the best way is to recruit home-grown talent and have linked up with a local training centre to find hundreds of casual staff for their catering department.

The highly regarded Salford Consortium, run by the city's Local Education Authority, and based in Buile Hill Park will host an open day on October 11 for would-be recruits.

The centre already provides training for chefs and catering students and is equipped with purpose-built kitchens.

Bev Hudson, staffing manager for Manchester United Catering Limited, said: ''We are trying to get local people involved rather than students from elsewhere and we want people we can rely on.

''We have vacancies for bar staff, chefs, kitchen porters, and silver service and waiting on staff to look after fans in the executive boxes.''

Perks include discounts in the club's megastore, and The Red Cafe, plus the chance to earn good tips.

Noel Goulding, a former QE2 chef, from Whitefield, who has cooked for the Queen and former American President Ronald Regan, and runs the catering section at Salford Consortium said: ''I am all for local jobs for local people.

Many of my students are local and they all love Manchester United and will be applying for some of the jobs.''