What  are  the  aims  of  your  project?  The project ‘s overall objective was to look at the feasibility of a local supply chain for organic flour and focused on four key areas:

1. What was the feasibility for growers in the region to produce organic milling wheat;

2. Quantify the latent demand for organic wheat flour in the Borders and in Scotland generally;

3. Brand development and market testing of an organic Scottish flour product; 4. Develop a business model for production, marketing and selling locally

produced organic flour. As a result of the project, Breadshare has generated a large amount of interest in locally grown, baked and delivered bread and flour and local supply chains in general. In particular, we identified a need for a local mill as a key element in establishing a local supply chain. An immediate benefit from the project is we have been able to negotiate a price for supply of flour direct from a major wholesaler/distributor to Breadshare and our associated community bakeries in Scotland.

Where  is  it?  The project looked at wheat production in The Borders, East Lothian, Aberdeenshire and Fife. The local demand was assessed against the Edinburgh and surrounding areas and the Scottish Borders.

Who’s  involved?  The project was conducted by a part time Supply Chain Coordinator position and part time Project Manager.

How  is  it  funded?  The project ran from February – December 2013 and was jointly funded by Scottish Border LEADER and Breadshare.

Where  did  you  go  for  help  and  advice?  The project was guided by the Breadshare board which provided help and advice in their capacity as the project’s steering committee. The project also established an advisory committee with representation from growers, breadmakers, wholesalers and distributors, seed merchants and business experts. More broadly we also consulted with Scottish wheat growers in The Borders, East Lothian, Fife and Aberdeenshire; seed merchants Dods of Haddington seed suppliers; Golspie Mill in Sutherland; and Greencity Wholefoods wholesaler/distributors. We also sought comments from Breadshare’s community of members and newsletter subscribers as well as the general public at market stalls.

Finally, the project sought expert advice from Borders Business Gateway and Scottish Border LEADER from time to time.

What’s  been  your  greatest  achievement  so  far?  Whilst the key deliverable for the project was the feasibility report into establishing an organic local wheat supply chain, we were most pleased with our packs of organic flour that were used for market trials in stores and at markets.

And  the  biggest  challenge?  Finding the time to meet with all stakeholders. This project had a wide range of contributors and interested parties: from producers, grain merchants, millers, logistics, wholesalers, bakers and retail customers.

Any  tips  for  someone  for  someone  setting  up  a  similar  project?  Keep focused on the aims and remember you can’t do everything at once. Ensure the project steering committee is kept appraised on progress and issues. Plan cash flows around quarterly claims cycle. Ensure there is a dedicated a project manager on top of any other project resources.

What’s  next  for  your  project?  The feasibility report contained a recommendation that a milling operation is the key to developing a local supply chain for organic flour. Breadshare would like to establish a mill in the Borders for this purpose.

More  info  (links  to  website,  photos,  videos,  documents  etc)  The project website can be found at http://www.breadshare.co.uk/project.htm

Figure 1: Sample flour packs

Figure 2: Test baking with local flours

Contact  Details   Geoffrey Crowe Breadshare Community-supported Bakery Lamancha West Linton EH45 7BB geoffcrowe@breadshare.co.uk