REAL Food
Operating Statement
9th September 2010
REAL Food, the trading and social enterprise arm of the REAL operation at Inverness High School has decided to stop operating it’s range of town centre, workplace, village market shops and deliveries as from end of day on Saturday 11th September.
Despite the consistent levels of demand for REAL’s range of local food products it has not been possible to build up sufficient sales levels, in the current format, to ensure overhead costs are fully covered each month. This is especially so in the light of reduced base funding availability for social enterprises in the coming years.
REAL Food’s retail activities were designed as a means to provide pupils with a range of experiences of how businesses work, what good customer focus looks like and how to build a brand. REAL activity at the High School will now continue with horticulture production activities, working with pupils in a series of climate change projects, both of which will provide further training that builds confidence and enhances workplace and other life-skills. Our wholesale business supplying local restaurants and shops with produce direct from the farm will continue to operate as normal.
REAL would like to thank all of the local farmers, growers and producers who have supported the retail project. As our suppliers, we would appreciate up to date statements for settlement in October.
We would also like to thank those of you who have been consistent retail customers over the years, and also those of you who have very recently began purchasing from us. Your custom has been very much appreciated. For those of you paying through standing order and the like, all accounts will be settled in the next couple of weeks.
Finally, we would also like to thank the many educational, social and business organisations and associated individuals from across the Inner Moray Firth and beyond who have been immensely supportive of REAL Food over our time of operation.
