The Highland Council joins national pilot to put more organic peas on school plates

Soil Association Scotland and The Highland Council are collaborating on a pilot project to get organic peas into school meals, thanks to extended funding from Sustain’s Bridging the Gap Programme.

The Give Peas a Chance! pilot project aims to open up a new route to market for this local and organic plant protein, allowing pupils to access healthy and sustainable food.

It is a partnership between Soil Association Scotland, The Highland Council and other councils in the northeast of Scotland, pea producer Phil Swire of Balmakewan Farm, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI).

The Council’s school meals menu includes delicious pea-based dishes, such as kitchari rice and even pea cookies and choc-pea brownies, which have already been a huge hit with pupils.

The new pea recipes will be accompanied by educational activities to show the pupils the farm-to-fork story of the peas. Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) has launched an education pack and Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) will be delivering classroom talks in select schools.

Home Economics students at Inverness Royal Academy got the chance to learn more during a Food Festival at the school held on Wednesday 24th September, and pea farmer, Phil Swire, also attended.

The organic dried split peas are grown in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire. The roots of the pea plants have a symbiotic relationship with rhizobium bacteria, which fixes nitrogen in the soil, making it a climate-friendly protein that also has huge nutritional benefits for Highland’s school pupils.

Inverness-based Swansons Food Wholesalers holds a crucial role in the pilot, delivering the peas to Highland schools. The local business with employee ownership started as a greengrocer with two staff in 1991 and has grown into a wholesale business with 40 staff, delivering produce to private and public caterers across Highland and Moray.

Cllr John Finlayson, Chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, said: “Healthy meals feed our brains as well as our bodies, so we all want our pupils to enjoy their school food.

“As well as benefits to health and wellbeing, the project brings clear positives for the environment and for rural agriculture. I congratulate all those involved in developing this excellent initiative in our schools.”

Cllr Kate Willis, Chair of Highland Council’s Climate Change Committee, added: “We’re proud to support the Give Peas a Chance pilot. By introducing locally grown organic peas into school meals, we’re not only reducing food miles and supporting sustainable agriculture, but also helping pupils connect with where their food comes from. It’s a fantastic example of how climate action can start on the school plate, benefiting children’s health and the local economy. I look forward to seeing more local produce featured in school menus across Highland."

Cllr Ken Gowans, Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: “In our region of Scotland we are fortunate to be surrounded by an abundance of great natural produce. It’s only right that we should take advantage of that when it comes to serving up healthy and nutritious meals on the school menu.

“The pea is a high-quality Scottish ingredient and this project shows that by reimagining how we use it, we can help to make school meals healthier and more climate-friendly.”

Fran Matheson, Project Coordinator for RHET Highland said: “We're thrilled to be working with Soil Association Scotland and other partners to deliver the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project funded through Sustain and the Bridging the Gap fund. It’s fantastic to be able to share the power of the pea with young people in Highland, helping to embed healthy and sustainable diets for all through an education offering including classroom visits and educational resources.”

Sarah Gowanlock, Partnerships Manager, Soil Association Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to bring this exciting pilot project to Highland, and to bring organic split peas to even more pupils in Scotland’s northeast. We’ve seen through the first 12 months of the pilot project that school meals that include this plant protein are a win-win: locally sourced, sustainable and nutritious. Our education partners at RHET and RHET Highland help bring to life the farm-to-fork journey of the pea for school pupils, meaning that not only are they trying new foods, but they’re also learning more about where those foods come from.”

Phil Swire, Organic Farmer and Pea Producer at Balmakewan Farm, Laurencekirk, said: “It’s fantastic to be partnering with The Highland Council on this pilot. Growing peas is an important part of our crop rotation and helps keep the farm’s soils healthy. I’m delighted to be able to supply locally grown ingredients into the school meals service, allowing more pupils to give peas a chance!”

Scott Air, Director, Swansons Wholesalers said: “It is great to be able to help a Scottish farmer to establish themselves in delivering this fantastic product out to so many schools, helping kids to broaden their minds towards the products they eat.”

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