Agricultural Technology students from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus put on an “impressive show” at their recent ‘Supply Chain’ presentations in front of food industry leaders.
The Bachelor of Science degree students were participating in an innovative Supply Chain programme with the meat company Linden Foods and food retailing giant Marks & Spencer (M&S).
There was a wide array of products from Wagyu beef burgers to a ‘clean eating’ style wrap (with bacon, egg, and mango), a Donegal seaweed-based pudding, Duck Wellington and Bramley apple crumble ice-cream.
As part of the programme, the students visit both the M&S store at Sprucefield and Linden Foods in Dungannon. The students are given a tour of both facilities and are then shown presentations on different aspects of the supply chain.
Following this, the students are given a project to develop a supply chain for a new food product aimed at M&S customers.
They must also design relevant packaging and create the product for presentation to a panel of judges in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style delivery. The judging panel consists of high-ranking representatives from Linden Foods and M&S, as well as senior CAFRE education staff.
The winning student team consisted of Claire Windrum (Carryduff, Co. Down), Anna Truesdale (Newcastle, Co. Down), Thomas Wells (Moira, Co. Armagh), and Brendan White (Castlewellan, Co. Down). The winning product they presented was a Wagyu burger.
The Supply Chain programme is sponsored by Linden Foods and M&S as an aspect of its “Farming for the Future” education programme.
The winning team is rewarded with a visit to M&S London headquarters where the students are introduced to various staff in the food purchasing and new product development departments. The top three student teams also receive awards at Balmoral Show.
Members of the runner-up team who created a ‘clean eating’ styled egg, bacon and avocado wrap pictured with CAFRE and Linden Foods staff. From left: Dr. Kate Semple (CAFRE), Christopher Sweeney, Josh Thompson, Heather Steele, Joseph Thompson and Keith Williamson (Linden Foods)
Members of the 3rd-placed team who produced a duck wellington. From left: Dr. Kate Semple (CAFRE), Ruairi McAnulty, Thomas Kelly, Orla Kelly, Hugo Hanna and Keith Williamson (Linden Foods)
