OIC Catering Manager named “Food Ambassador”

The Council’s Catering Manager, Scott Pring, has been named a Food for Life Scotland Ambassador for his work promoting healthy, sustainable and locally sourced food in schools.

Scott attended an event in Edinburgh last week (10 May) alongside a select group of catering staff from across Scotland to receive the accolade – which follows on from the Food For Life Served here Bronze Award achieved by Scott and his team in schools in the county in 2020 and reaccredited last year.

He has been selected for his work within schools, the community and local authority to push forward the “good food” movement.

Scott has increased the catering team's online presence through engaging with stakeholders on social media and running a campaign to increase awareness of “good food” values.

He is also working on a project to embrace the local food larder by serving more Orkney produce on school menus and setting up a “meet the buyer” event for local producers.

The aim of the Food for Life Scotland Ambassadors programme is to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes of the revolution that’s going on behind the scenes in school meals. Catering staff have battled against the odds over the last couple of years facing unprecedented challenges, from the pandemic, to supply chain shortages and price rises, and all in the name of getting healthy, sustainable and locally sourced food onto pupils' plates.

After taking part in a number of workshops, the ambassadors created and set out on their own individual action plans within their local authority, from growing projects to cooking clubs for parents to a student council that selects a monthly seasonal recipe for their school's menu. These projects are now underway, and the ambassadors will continue to champion good food in their communities.

The ambassador programme was set up by Food for Life Scotland (FFLS), run by Soil Association Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government.

Scott said: “Being a Food for Life Scotland Ambassador has strengthened my position that pupils and parents are customers, and we need to focus on great customer service, information delivery and education and work in a far more dynamic and modern way with parents and pupils.”

The Council’s Corporate Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, James Wylie, said: “Scott and the catering teams’ achievements, particularly during a pandemic, are to be commended.

“The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and we have a very good uptake rate of school meals in the county – but the team are always striving to raise this even further and to ensure children and young people have access to food that is nutritious and freshly prepared, at the same time as being sustainably and locally produced where possible.”

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “I would like to congratulate the newly awarded Food for Life Scotland Ambassadors who have been selected as a result of their commendable work within their schools, communities and local authorities.

“The Food for Life Scotland programme is continuing to make a big difference to the lives of many young people across the country. This wouldn’t have been achieved without the tireless efforts of our catering teams across the length and breadth of the country.”