Pride of East Lothian have continued on from their success at the YES January Market. At the Lothian Area Board YES Awards Evening held on Thursday 24 March, the company were successful in being presented with awards for:

• 1st place - Best Human Resources Director - Andrew Gilmour
• 3rd place - Best Finance Director - Fiona Cleat and Craig Rafferty
• 2nd place - Best Overall Company - Pride of East Lothian

Each Young Enterprise Company had to give a 4 minute presentation to judges, other YES companies and invited guests.  The text from the presentation given by Pride of East Lothian can be read below....

Congratulations to the following pupils: Fiona Cleat, Andrew Gilmour, Campbell Hastings, Aileen McKnight, Gregor McMillan, Mark McLoughlin and Craig Rafferty.

   

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Did you know, your dinner tonight will have travelled some 2000 miles to reach you? Did you know, local businesses stimulate national growth? Did you know, there are over 100 producers of food and drink in East Lothian alone?

’Pride of East Lothian’ was our answer to these questions.

We realised that there is value in people and communities. We realised that not everyone appreciates this value, infact, that almost no one knows its there. From our own pride and enthusiasm for Local Produce ‘Pride of East Lothian’ was formed, and its mission conceived:

’To provide a premium service that equals the quality producers and services that it seeks to represent’.

By promoting Local Quality and Local Produce, we bring this value to Your Doorstep. We stimulate growth, support local people and bring dinner just a little closer to home.

We began by researching the market we sought to represent. Our criteria were simple: Local Quality, Local Produce. Choosing from 100 producers however, wasn’t. To approach so many suppliers in such a diverse environment required us to pitch quickly, effectively and above all confidently. This was perhaps the first lesson we learnt from Young Enterprise.

Yet we didn’t want to just sell. We wanted to represent, to create something to demonstrate East Lothian, its People, its Products, its Quality. Something people could see in the street and associate with East Lothian. What we created was a brand.

Of course our name was there: ‘Pride of East Lothian’. But we needed a logo. An icon to define East Lothian’s quality, an icon instantly recognisable in the local community. Thus we underpinned our name with the distinctive Bass Rock. Our maxim: Local Produce, Local Quality, on Your Doorstep clearly defined our values, our philosophy and our goals.

In many ways this brand was ‘Pride of East Lothian’. Our brand adorned every contact, be it online, on paper or in person: It was behind everything we did, it’s behind me right now.

So we had a brand. Next, ‘Knowes Farm Shop’ was chosen as our main supplier - alongside their award winning quality, the shop was prepared to run a system of sale or return, which was hugely beneficial, allowing us to operate with minimal risk.

From here our products followed, we mooted numerous ranges of hampers and gift packs, experimenting with packaging and consulting potential consumers to gauge interest. Eventually our simple ‘Confiture Cracker’ was created. Alongside this, we produced a range of specially commissioned notelets, packets of garden seed and pot pourri (sourced locally) and in light of December’s chilly weather, some wild bird seed to feed our feathered friends. By producing a wide range of products, we could diversify and cater for a variety of budgets, while continuing to honour our maxim of Local Quality and Local Produce.

With everything in place, ‘Pride of East Lothian’ was able to begin sales. Publicity was certainly our forte here. PrideofEastLothian.co.uk, local papers, school web bulletins and poster campaigns put Pride of East Lothian in the public eye. Instrumental in this was the continuity of our brand; it tied all our dealings with consumers together, creating something memorable. Moreover, our amicable, knowledgeable and confident sales pitch was commented on by suppliers and customers, and despite difficulties caused by inclement weather before Christmas, we sold out.

Our success was borne of having a clear philosophy and clear goals to work towards. ‘Pride of East Lothian’ was very much an ethically minded and socially responsible organisation, something reflected in our maxim. We supported Local Producers, adopted recycling and rigorous quality assurance. We reduced food miles, considered our working environment and ensured it was preserved. The conscientious nature of the company was embraced in all aspects of operation.

And so we leave you a clear message:  There is value in community, and by fostering this value, an ethical business can do more than make profit, it can benefit Local People, Local Producers and protect our Enviroment.

Together we are the ‘Pride of East Lothian’.

Local Produce, Local Quality, On Your Doorstep.

Thank you.

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