CAFRE and Invest NI working together to support the bakery and snacks sector
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The Northern Ireland bakery and snacks sector has a wide base of producers, ranging from artisan businesses to those with a turnover in excess of £250,000 per year.
The sector remains very competitive with continued innovation the key to its success.
The Agri-Food Strategy Board, Going For Growth report identified that the future success of the sector requires greater investment in innovation and skills and that speciality products will be the key to future success.
The Food Technology Development Branch at CAFRE, Loughry Campus has developed closer links with the bakery and snacks sector in a bid to explore opportunities to support businesses develop skills, enhance knowledge and innovate.
Many Northern Ireland bakeries continue to use the facilities at CAFRE such as the Food Innovation Centre and Food Technology Centre at Loughry Campus. These facilities include innovation kitchens for concept development, pilot processing equipment for small scale production trials and a sensory evaluation suite to aid new product development and benchmark consumer acceptance.
CAFRE in partnership with Invest NI have organised a series of successful events to support the bakery and snack sector. Over 100 industry representatives attended an Innovation Support Seminar at the Food Innovation Centre, CAFRE, Loughry Campus where CAFRE and InvestNI showcased the various support programmes available to the industry.
Following the success of the support seminar, InvestNI, supported by CAFRE facilitated a study trip to the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), in the U.S. Those who attended were able to investigate new equipment, novel ingredients and emerging innovations. The group had opportunities to network, visit bakeries and visit retail outlets.
CAFRE and Invest NI hosted a series Bakery Knowledge, Skills and Innovations workshops in the bakery in the Food Technology Centre, Loughry Campus, where the training was delivered by bakery technologists from Campden BRI. These were a series of two day practical and theory based workshops, focusing on bread, cakes, biscuits and pastry.
Further collaborations between InvestNI and CAFRE to support the bakery and snacks sector are planned and information will be made available shortly.
To find out more about how food technologists at CAFRE, Loughry Campus can support your bakery and snacks foods businesses, contact Senior Food Technologist, christine.haydock@daera-ni.gov.uk.
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