Kirsty McIlmoyle – CAFRE Alumni

Kirsty McIlmoyle lives on her family’s dairy farm in Rasharkin, Ballymena. Kirsty graduated with a First Class Honours Degree after completing four years of study at CAFRE, Loughry Campus.

I was delighted to receive the Department of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise award for the top Food Innovation and Nutrition student for the class of 2023 at the Graduation Ceremony in June 2023.

Coming from a farming background I have a strong interest in food and nutrition. I was familiar with the challenges of the agri-food industry and the importance it has in society to support a healthy and growing population. I was interested in learning more about how the food industry could evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of the population in terms of diet and new food trends. The Food Innovation and Nutrition degree at CAFRE, Loughry campus was the perfect choice for me. It enabled me to develop my knowledge in the area and prepared me well for a career in the food industry.

My time at Loughry Campus has afforded me various opportunities to develop academically and professionally. Alongside my studies I was able to gain experience in the food industry, initially as Production Laboratory Technician and during my placement year as a Technical Administrator at Dale Farm, Pennybridge. I not only gained an insight into working in the food industry, but I also developed my technical and interpersonal skills. I was able to use and build on the knowledge and skills that I had developed through my degree, which was invaluable in both roles.

There have been several development highlights during my time at Loughry. The one that stands out was competing in the Moy Park challenge. It was fun to experiment in the Loughry product development kitchens and use the latest technology in the sensory evaluation suite to evaluate consumer preferences. The final presentation was like a mini version of Dragons Den and my team came second! I also won a financial bursary from Danske Bank for my Dissertation Proposal in final year of my course. The opportunities and facilities available to CAFRE students are second-to-none. I would urge anyone with an interest in teamworking and the practical application of technology to speak to staff and students and visit Loughry Campus.

As a Loughry graduate, I am delighted to have secured a place on the Henderson Foodservice graduate scheme as an Operational Logistics Management Trainee. I was attracted to Henderson’s as it is a growing foodservice provider in Northern Ireland offering good long-term career opportunities. I am looking forward to developing new skills in different departments and gaining an understanding of their systems and department needs. The role will be a new challenge, within a different area of the agri-food supply chain which I always had a keen interest in. I know the knowledge and skills that I have developed during my four years at CAFRE, Loughry Campus will allow me to get stuck-in and make an impact. Here’s to an exciting career in the food industry!