Bite Back is a youth activist movement set up to challenge the food system to drive healthier, higher standards. It works with 80 young people, aged 13-21 and from across England, on campaigns like restricting junk food advertising and extending eligibility for free school meals. In 2022, Bite Back piloted the Food Systems Accelerator Programme to convert relationships with food companies into actionable change, influencing business practices by connecting industry leaders with young campaigners. Bremner & Co were commissioned by Bite Back to evaluate the pilot, aiming to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities for future iterations.
Our Approach
Our evaluation focused on stakeholder interviews to capture the experiences of participating companies, programme partners, and youth board members. Based on our findings, we put forward a set of recommendations for Bite Back to consider. Our experience working with food brands, as well as public and community organisations, helped us to sense-check and validate what the companies told us about their experiences, giving Bite Back an impartial but informed view of the programme.
Key Outcomes
The Accelerator Programme was an innovative means of achieving change in the food industry and reinforced the importance of considering young people’s health among the participating companies. Despite sustained participation by the food companies, the outcomes have not been as impactful as Bite Back had hoped. Participants all reported a positive experience, albeit with suggestions for further development for future iterations.
Testimonials
Myles, Rob and Cressida were a wonderful, professional and responsive team to work with. The evaluation – from the kick-off meeting to the final report – was exactly what we were looking for and is already informing our revised approach.
Nika Pajda, Senior Policy & Special Projects Manager
The Food Systems Accelerator Programme was designed to build on the relationships Bite Back has with businesses in the food industry. Given the size, history and business models of the participating food companies, achieving change to support health outcomes was challenging, but credit should be given to all those who took part for trying to do so. We were really impressed by the Youth Board members who we spoke to: they were well-informed, articulate and very persuasive about how and why the food system needs to change.
Rob Kidd, Lead Consultant, Bremner & Co
Our Services
Bridging activism and industry requires the right insights and strategic alignment. Our evaluation approach helps organisations like Bite Back understand what’s working, where the challenges lie, and how to refine their approach for greater impact. We don’t just provide assessments – we equip teams with the knowledge and recommendations they need to drive lasting, systemic change. If you want to strengthen your programme’s design and effectiveness, we can help.
Interested in transforming food systems and driving healthier standards? Get in touch with us to see how our insights can elevate your programmes and strategies.
