Lewis School Pupils Take on the Big Biscuit Brands

Following their involvement in SFDF's schools programme, 'A Future in Food', pupils at Sgoil a’ Bhac School in Lewis gathered at the island's Stag Bakeries last week to see their prize-winning biscuit go into production.

The pupils developed the biscuit as part of a competition run by the company and the Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF) to find a winning product idea to put into commercial production.

The strawberry and white chocolate biscuit will go on sale to the public this week with packaging acknowledging the pupils input.

Biscuits will initially be sold in local shops as a nine-pack and in the late summer twin-packs will go on sale in hotels and coffee shops throughout Scotland.

To create the biscuit, pupils carried out market research and identified their target market, conducted scientific analysis, investigated issues around sustainability and food miles and set a commercially viable price for their product.

During the project the pupils also learned about the variety of careers on offer in the food and drink industry, including the science-based technical roles, working in new product development, and roles in marketing and finance.

Stag Bakeries has been working with a cluster of local secondary schools as part of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation’s innovative schools programme ‘A Future in Food’, designed to help teachers, pupils and parents better understand where their food comes from and how it’s produced.

Flora McLean, director of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, said: "The food and drink industry in Scotland generates annual sales in excess of £8 billion. To build on this success in the future, we need bright, talented people that will help drive future growth through innovation.

"That is why we are committed to working with young people throughout their education to give them an opportunity to experience what a vibrant and exciting industry the food and drink industry can be to work in and to give them an insight into the rewarding career opportunity our industry offers."

Colin Daniels from Stag Bakeries said: "We were so impressed by the standard of entries submitted, not only of the products presented but the work that had been put into the project as a whole. I believe that such initiatives have a positive and lasting impact on the food industry.

"Through SFDF’s schools programme, ‘A Future in Food’, we hope to go some way to help students understand what is involved in the production of food that appears on the shop shelves and a greater understanding of the career opportunities open to people considering the food industry as a future employer."

Iain Stewart, skills and enterprise officer at Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, said: "This project demonstrates the ‘win-win’ of young people learning crucial life and employability skills – in a business sector that is economically important locally."

The food and drink industry is one of Scotland’s priority sectors, with food and drink manufacturing alone providing employment for around 50,000 people and generating an annual turnover in excess of £8 billion.

However, there is widespread misunderstanding about the career prospects in the industry, leaving it with skills gaps and labour shortages in high-value areas such as engineering, food science and food technology.

More information on SFDF's schools' programme A Future in Food

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