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Into the Dragon’s Den
- 25 July 2013
After overcoming stiff opposition from their peers to win the coveted Moy Park Product Development Challenge, Loughry degree students recently took part in a major UK competition. Ecotrophelia is an EU-wide Dragon’s Den style contest rewarding student teams who have developed the best eco-innovative food products. The UK competition is organised jointly by the Institute of Food Science & Technology and Campden BRI and is open to teams of students from UK universities.
The Loughry team, led by BSc Food Management & Marketing student Nathan Crozier, entered the competition with their Shake ‘n’ Spice product. This snacking concept consists of bite size cooked chicken pieces in a succulent glaze accompanied by a sweet chilli spice. The consumer adds the spice to the chicken, shakes and serves! The chicken is sourced locally from quality assured farms and the packaging is part recyclable, part re-useable.
The entry so impressed the initial judging panel that the team was shortlisted and invited to the UK final held in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. Presenting to a panel of “Dragons” (consisting of senior industrialists from businesses including Sainsbury’s, Pepsi-co, Coca-cola and Warburton’s) was a major challenge for the five team members. After a thorough interrogation, the Loughry students were placed in the top five of all entries.
Nathan Crozier commented “this was a thoroughly enjoyable experience that none of us will forget. We’ve made some amazing contacts and shown that Loughry can compete with the best food universities in the UK”.
Developing new food products is a real career option. If you’d like to find out more about Loughry’s “designer” courses, pop along to our next Open Evening on Thursday 22 August.
From left: Tutor Donna Lyons, Loughry Campus, food degree students Nathan Crozier (Omagh), Anna-Mae Graham (Lisbellaw), Michelle Sherry (Ballygawley), Roberta Totten (Dungannon) and David Patterson (Omagh).
Source: CAFRE - Into the Dragon's Den
