Bite Back Launches in Scotland for the First Time

After hearing from young people ready to take action, we’re officially stepping into Scotland for the first time!

Bite Back is expanding its work to empower and support young Scots to challenge the food system — from school canteens, to local councils and Holyrood. We’ve invited young people to join our Youth Board, and speak out to help shape a fairer, healthier food environment in Scotland. These young people will be given expert mentoring in campaigning, media and creative storytelling, joining forces with our current activists in Scotland.

We’re also marking the first year of the Bite Back in Schools Scotland programme, which will support young people to build skills in public speaking, research and advocacy, work with schools and local authorities to improve food environments, and elevate Scottish youth voices in national campaigning.

Enny, aged 18, and our first Bite Back activist in Scotland said:

“Everywhere we go, unhealthy options are pushed at us — in our schools, in our communities, on our phones. But we don’t have to just accept it."

“I joined Bite Back because I wanted to challenge that. Now, I’m part of a national movement of young people who get it — who see through these tactics and are pushing for real change. Bite Back has helped me find my voice, build new skills, and make friends from all over the country. And with young people from Scotland now joining us too, our community is growing stronger than ever,” said Enny.

Edinburgh native and Bite Back’s Senior Programmes and Policy Manager for Scotland, Katie Horsburgh, said:

“This is an exciting moment for Scotland. Young people here care deeply about fairness, health and the future of their communities — and they deserve to be at the centre of conversations about food and policy. Stepping into Scotland starts with young people. Their voices, their ideas and their leadership will shape everything we do here.

Right now, young people are facing a flood of junk food marketing and unhealthy options in their everyday lives — and with around one in three children in Scotland at risk of food-related ill health, the urgency couldn’t be clearer.

We’re building something meaningful and rooted in Scotland, and I’m excited to see passionate young Scots join us and help lead that change.”

Last year, Bite Back led a campaign against junk food ads across England, calling on the UK Government to deliver long-promised protections for children’s health. From billboards and media stunts to petition hand-ins, thousands backed the call. In January, that pressure helped deliver a win: the UK Government confirmed it will finally implement the long-delayed junk food advertising ban. But the fight isn’t over.

“We are humbled by the chance to work alongside the young people of Scotland!” said D’Arcy Williams, Chief Executive of Bite Back. “We’ve already taken on Big Food across England — and our young campaigners have had some huge policy wins, especially last year. But there’s so much more to do to protect young people’s health and take back control from this corporate capture of our food system”

Bite Back activists have taken their fight from school canteens to Downing Street. They’ve spoken live on national news, travelled across the UK and abroad, met directly with ministers, and challenged some of the world’s biggest food companies. As a youth-led movement, Bite Back puts young people in the lead — and gives them the tools to campaign for change. And with young Scots joining forces, we can build something even bigger in 2026.”

To learn more about our first steps in Scotland, check out our briefing for MSPs: