03 July 2012

Over 700 pupils, from 31 schools throughout NI visited Loughry Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, Cookstown, as part of an innovative approach to supporting students studying GCSE Home Economics and Science and to open up their minds to a career in the food and drink industry.

The ‘Feed Your Mind’ event has now firmly established itself as an annual event within many of the schools' calendars. The one day fun filled programme, which utilises the extensive practical facilities unique to Loughry, provides the students with an interesting and informative look at the use of science and technology in the Food Industry. The programme took the pupils through several demonstrations, including new product development; ice-cream manufacture; hygiene monitoring; nutrition awareness and packaging technology, to illustrate how various scientific techniques, technologies and consumer issues have a major impact on the food we eat.

The event was also an excellent opportunity for the pupils to hear first hand from industry representatives about the tasty careers in the food industry and how courses at Loughry could provide them with further study in an exciting and rewarding area. Loughry’s practically based courses and world class facilities ensure their students are well equipped make the most of the excellent employment and career progression opportunities in the one of our most successful industries.

For further information about the courses at Loughry Campus freephone 0800 0284291 or why not come along to our Open Day on August 23 between 3 and 8pm and get a taste of campus life.

Talking food careers at Loughry Campus

Ciaran O’Kane, a graduate from Loughry Campus, now employed by Moy Park, talked to Year 11 St Benedict’s College, students Donna McKernan and Mark Laverty, Randalstown about the range of opportunities in the Northern Ireland food and drink industry during the Feed your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus.

Healthy careers focus at Loughry Campus

CAFRE Food Technologist Donna Lyons talked healthy food issues with Lloyd Johnston, Lisnaskea High School and Mary Martin, St Benedict’s College during their recent visit to the Feed Your Mind careers event at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

Sweet careers at Loughry Campus

Newtownbreda High School Year 11 student Naomi Johnston enjoyed hearing about and tasting the chocolate made by Pat McTeague (Food Technology Technician, CAFRE) at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

It’s all about dough at Loughry Campus

Year 11 students Conor McLaughlin, St Joseph’s High School, Coalisland and Craig Cowan, Fivemiletown High School try their hand at bread making at the Feed Your Mind careers event at Loughry Campus while James Devlin (Food Technology Technician, CAFRE) looks on.

Dairy delicious at Loughry Campus

Year 11 students Leanne Black, Fivemiletown High School, Faolan Hughes, St Joseph’s High School, Coalisland and Rachel Whitla, Dromore High School, enjoy sampling ice-cream at the Feed Your Mind careers event at Loughry Campus, with CAFRE staff Ian Hassard and John Dooey.

Rising to it at Loughry Campus

Year 11 students, Jamie McKee, Dunluce School and Nathan McNally, Integrated College Dungannon tried their hand at bread-making at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

Talking careers at Loughry Campus

Peter Simpson (Senior Food Technologist, CAFRE) chats with Year 11 students Paula Dunn, Newtownbreda High School, Rebecca McBride, Garvagh High School and Philip Rainey, Omagh High School about food courses at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

Food safety in focus at Loughry Campus

Year 11 students Megan Montgomery, Cambridge House Grammar School, Amy Robinson, Carrickfergus Grammar School and Evie Cullen, Grosvenor Grammar School check out food hygiene practices with Edmund Slaine (Scientific Officer, CAFRE) during the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

The acid test for food careers at Loughry

Danielle Lynch, Year 11 student from Dunluce School got an insight into the acids contained in foods from Wesley Currie (Scientific Officer, CAFRE) at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

Tickling the taste buds at Loughry Campus

Chloe McGinty, Year 11 student from St Fanchea’s College, Enniskillen has her sense of taste tested by Lesa Steele and Hazel Boyd (Food Technology Technicians, CAFRE) during the Feed Your Mind careers event at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

Health and fitness focus at Loughry

Year 11, Lisnaskea High School student Robert Smith is put through his paces watched on by Janette Farrell and Teresa Conroy (Food Technologist, CAFRE) during the health and fitness demonstration at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus.

Sweet careers at Loughry Campus

Omagh High School Year 11 student Jasmin Steenson enjoyed the chocolate that Pat McTeague (Food Technology Technician, CAFRE) had on offer at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.

The acid test for food careers at Loughry

Kyle Thomas, Year 11 student from the Integrated College Dungannon tested the acidity of yoghurt with Wesley Currie (Scientific Officer, CAFRE) at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus.

Sweet careers at Loughry Campus

Pat McTeague (Food Technology Technician, CAFRE) with Garvagh High School Year 11 students Zara Anderson and Nicole Boreland at the Feed Your Mind careers event held recently at Loughry Campus, Cookstown.