Agriculture students demonstrate their food enterprise skills
April 18, 2019
BSc (honours) Agricultural Technology students impressed industry judges with food products ranging from BBQ pulled duck sliders to A2 Strawberry milkshake to oven baked fruit bites and a host of innovative food products at their recent Supply Chain presentations.
Marks & Spencer, Linden Foods and CAFRE staff with members of the winning team. From left: Dr Kate Semple, Programme Manager, CAFRE, Matthew Muldrew (Armagh), Andrew Reid (Crumlin), Declan McNally (Jerrettspass), Michaela Quinn (Cookstown), George Moffett, Head of Agriculture Education, Cafre, Catherine Hilland, M&S Sprucefield, Keith Williamson, Linden Foods, Ian McMaw Lecturer, CAFRE
The BSc (honours) Agricultural Technology degree students at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus participate in an innovative supply chain programme with beef and lamb processor Linden Foods and food retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S). As part of this programme, the students visit both Linden Foods in Dungannon and the Food Hall of the M & S store in Sprucefield. The students tour the respective facilities and are given presentations on various aspects of the supply chain.
The Runner up team. From left: Dr Kate Semple, Programme Manager, Cafre, James Scroggie (Armagh), Stephanie Reid (Ballygowan), George Moffett, Head of Agriculture Education, Cafre, Kellie Rouse (Strabane), Keith Williamson Linden Foods, Catherine Hilland, M&S Sprucefield, Ian McMaw, Lecturer, Cafre and Robert Shaw (Hillsborough)
Following these visits the students are challenged with a project to develop a supply chain for a new food product targeting the M&S customer. The programme culminates with a visit to Greenmount Campus by Linden and M&S staff who assess the student presentations on their project.
3 – 3rd placed team. From left: Dr Kate Semple, Programme Manager, Cafre, George Moffett, Head of Agriculture Education, Jack Wilson (Cookstown) Keith Williamson, Linden Foods, David Wilson (Carrickfergus), Ian McMaw, Lecturer, Cafre, Phillip Stewart (Aughnacloy) and Catherine Hilland M&S Sprucefield.
The Supply Chain programme is sponsored by Linden Foods and Marks & Spencer as part of its Farming for the Future education programme. The winning team are rewarded with a visit to M&S London headquarters where the students meet a range of M&S staff involved in food purchasing and new product development. The top three student teams will also receive awards at Balmoral Show.
The winning student team comprised Declan McNally (Jerrettspass), Matthew Muldrew (Armagh), Michaela Quinn (Cookstown) and Andrew Reid (Crumlin) with their product of A2 Strawberry milkshake in 300ml and 1l pack sizes.