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Chapter One Introduction

Purpose of This Evaluation

1.1 Research commissioned by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department ( SEERAD) estimated that the market for public sector food in the health, prisons and education sectors is worth around £85m per annum in Scotland ². The research also found that perceived low profit margins and complex tendering processes deterred smaller scale producers from supplying the public sector. The report made recommendations to improve access to tenders and advertising of tenders to ensure that those producers wishing to enter the market have the opportunity to do so.

1.2 Both SEERAD and East Ayrshire council commissioned the present evaluation of East Ayrshire's local food in schools in order to complement the earlier research and to identify lessons that could be learned by other local authorities in encouraging local suppliers (including local organic suppliers) to respond to advertised requirements for the supply of local and local organic food to schools.

1.3 The objectives of the research are:

• To evaluate a pilot scheme to encourage local suppliers to respond to advertised requirements for the supply of local and local organic food to schools in East Ayrshire
• To establish the views of children/parents on the changes to the school meals service resulting from the pilot scheme
• To assess the degree to which the findings can be generalised to other local authorities

Local Area Context

1.4 East Ayrshire Area Profile - East Ayrshire has a land area of some 125,200 hectares or 490 square miles, stretching from Lugton in the north to Loch Doon in the south. The Authority is located in West Central Scotland, approximately thirty miles south-west of Glasgow. The total population of the area is 120,000, with less than half of the population living within the two main towns of Kilmarnock (44,000) and Cumnock (9,000). There are twenty one main communities and settlements in a diverse geographical area, embracing both rural and urban settlements.

1.5 Some relevant facts about East Ayrshire Council are as follows:

• Expenditure of £247million (for 2003/04)
• 6,000 employees
• Serving more than 120,000 residents
• No. Secondary Schools - 9
• No. Primary School - 46
• School Meal Price - £1.47

Pilot Background

1.6 In August 2004 East Ayrshire Council's in-house school meals organisation sought to establish a local, fresh school meals service using a proportion of organic food. East Ayrshire Council ran an initial pilot in August 2004 serving one primary school and expanded the pilot in 2005 to serve 11 primary schools. The pilot schools used fresh, local and local organic foods that have been sourced from local suppliers and producers. The Council's in-house school meals organisation designed a new fixed 4-week menu to be followed by all 11 schools (included here in Appendix 6).

1.7 The Council's school meals organisation measured the performance of the pilots both financially and against targets established by the Soil Association's Food for Life Initiative, which are:

• School lunches should aim to provide food that meets the nutrition targets established by the Caroline Walker Trust (and cited only as guideline values in government guidance on school catering)
• At least 75% of all foods consumed (over a week) be made from unprocessed Ingredients
• At least 50% of meal ingredients be sourced from the local region
• At least 30% of food served should be from certified organic sources
• Better classroom education on food, cooking and farming, ensuring that all children visit a farm at least once during their time at school

1.8 Prior to the pilot, East Ayrshire Council procured food for the 11 schools through the Authorities Buying Consortium (abc), established on 1 April 1996 as a purchasing agency for 12 Scottish Local Authorities. These Councils recognised the benefits to be gained from using the economies of scale arising from their combined purchasing power to obtain lower prices over a wide range of products. After the pilot, East Ayrshire Council purchased from the approved abc suppliers for the remaining schools in the authority.

1.9 The local food initiative at East Ayrshire's primary schools has been recognised for its achievement through a number of awards:

• The Guardian Public Services Award 2005 for Innovation and Progress in Customer Service
• The Soil Association Food for Life School of the Year 2005

1.10 Case studies have also been commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry and in the 'Double Dividend' report ³ by the Sustainable Consumption Round Table (a joint initiative between the Sustainable Development Commission and the National Consumer Council).

Definitions

1.11 For this evaluation study, we have assumed the following definition of key terms:

• 'Producer' means a farmer or grower
• 'Local' means from within the three local authorities making up Ayrshire - East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, and South Ayrshire. In our survey of producers, respondents were allowed to use their own definition of 'local' produce
• 'Supplier' is defined as a contract holder to East Ayrshire Council's school meals organisation, and could be a wholesaler or producer or both

Summary of Food Supply to Schools and Evaluation Overview

1.12 Figure 1.1 below summarises the status quo for food supply to East Ayrshire's primary schools and how this differs in the 11 schools taking part in the local foods scheme. The right hand side of the figure also lists the various types of stakeholders consulted in this evaluation.

Figure 1.1: Summary of food supply to primary schools and evaluation overview

Pilot Inception, Development and Implementation

1.13 Table 1.1 below provides an outline of the evolution, development and implementation of the pilot scheme. Table 1.2 then give more detail of the tendering process.

Table 1.1: Evolution of pilot scheme

Table 1.2: Tendering process

Table 1.3: Suppliers to the pilot scheme

Research Approach

1.14 This evaluation was commissioned in September 2005. ADAS conducted all fieldwork between October 2005 and March 2006.

1.15 The evaluation was comprised of five main research elements. Full details of the research approach and method are included in Appendix 1. Questionnaires and discussion guides used at appropriate stages of the study are included in Appendix 2.

Arrangement of this Report

1.16 Following this introduction, the next five sections provide commentary on the results of each of the elements of fieldwork referred to above. Each section closes with a brief summary of key findings.

1.17 The Conclusions and Recommendations arising from the research form the final section of the main body of the report.

1.18 The Appendices provide details of the questionnaires used in research, verbatim listings of the comments made by respondent to some of the surveys, tables of data from the local authorities survey and the associated desk research, and the 4-weekly sample menus on offer at the 11 primary schools in East Ayrshire Council's local food initiative.

1.19 Detailed tables of results from the surveys of producers and parents and school children are provided in a separate volume.

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