22 January 2014: SBC Programme Coordinator Vivian Maeda was at Biggar High School in South Lanarkshire on Monday to facilitate a food packaging workshop in conjunction with ESC Packaging and Parkers Packaging. The workshop is part of the Scottish Government’s Food For Thought programme which aims to

improve food education in schools across Scotland by running a variety of engaging and creative projects. Scottish Business in the Community’s role in this programme is to help schools find volunteers from businesses to enhance pupils’ learning and experience.

At the workshop, Carri Walker (ESC Packaging) and Michelle Nugent (Parkers Packaging) explained to pupils what was involved in designing a new ready meal packaging for the local butcher ‘Damn Delicious’. After learning more from the experts in the field, the children will attempt to design their own packaging for the ready meal and will be assessed on a variety of criteria including creativity, feasibility and costs including production and marketing. The winners will be announced in mid-February 2014.

A hugely successful and stimulating event, Carri and Michelle also addressed the importance of understanding a client’s brief, the colour psychology used in targeting specific customers as well as issues of branding. Finally, the importance of including the nutritional value, weight, logos and dietary information warnings was addressed.

This is just one of many creative applications of Food for Thought within schools. Working with local businesses provides a practical and multidisciplinary angle to food education. From a school “bake-off” with professional chefs judging, to a school running its own Farmers’ Market with local businesses, to a mock “Dragons’ Den” within the school where managers and chefs from different companies judge the feasibility of a mock range of healthy snacks – the applications are diverse.

If your business is interested in being involved in our Food For Thought programme then please e-mail Vivian Maeda or call 0131 451 1113.