Council reviews bread contract after public outcry over cancelling Derbyshire bakery - but says it is 'not able to change the outcome'

Family-run Luke Evans Bakery based in Alfreton, was informed they had lost a contract to supply the county’s schools with bread – and instead a company delivering bread from Wakefield had been chosen.

The news sparked anger with many calling on the council to reconsider.

David Yates, who runs the bakery, received the letter from the council which stated the successful tenderer was John Palin Wholesale Ltd.

Mr Yates, 54, said: “We were very disappointed when we received the message from the council after having such a good long relationship for so many years. It’s a sad day for Luke Evans, the pupils and the schools of Derbyshire, having supplied them for over 30 years. Instead, they will be eating bread delivered by a fruit and vegetable wholesaler.

"There are many bakeries in Derbyshire towns and villages – we are even more disappointed that the council chose a company which does not bake its bread in Derbyshire.”

Derbyshire County Council’s Leader, Councillor Barry Lewis, added: “I was very disappointed to learn that Luke Evans, our suppliers for many years had not been awarded the contract. I, along with other senior cabinet members, instructed officers to review the decision to provide an assurance that no local bidder was unfairly disadvantaged during the procurement process.

“However, due to the tender being carried out in full compliance with Public Contract Regulations, we are not able to change the outcome, there is nothing we can do without being in breach of those regulations and therefore the law.

“So I have now asked our teams to look at how we can strengthen our processes for buying goods and services locally, because at the moment we cannot award contracts to suppliers based just on their localness.

“The new Procurement Bill going through parliament at the moment will introduce the most significant changes to the way public sector organisations buy goods and services for a generation. And although these changes will not come into force until early 2024, it will reform the way public authorities purchase goods, services and public works by simplifying and modernising procurement rules and procedures opening up public procurement to more small businesses and social enterprises enabling them to compete for and win more public contracts.

“I am a firm believer in buying as much as we can locally. It is good for our local firms, and good for our local economy.

“I know that this news will be disappointing to Luke Evans, and many in the local community. We hope that we can do business with them in the future.”

Before this contract award, the council had three different suppliers for bread products at 22 schools across the county.

Following a competitive tender process which considered both the quality and prices of bread products, the contract was awarded to a single provider.

The Derbyshire based business already deliver fruit and vegetables to all schools and will be buying and delivering bread products from a bakery in Wakefield.