CAFRE students hooked on food and drink training

When it comes to promoting the splendour of seafood from Northern Ireland’s coasts, rivers and lakes two CAFRE graduates from Loughry Campus have been caught hook, line and sinker.

Students Sam Seaby, Lisburn and Ashleigh Irwin, Cookstown on board a Lough Neagh fishing vessel.

As part of a six month placement with Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Cooperative in Toomebridge, Ashleigh Irwin and Sam Seaby have promoted the fishery at local markets and shows, carried out scientific research on eels in partnership with the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and developed a smoked eel pâté product.

Cookstown student Ashleigh, who graduated with a Foundation degree in Food Technology, said working with the Cooperative was very educational.

“The placement gave me a real insight into our wide ranging food and drink industry and the different roles and functions within it. The scientific research carried out in conjunction with AFBI was fascinating. We looked at how a specific nematode parasite, (Anguillicoloides crassus), affects the growth and development of the Lough Neagh Eel,” she said.

Food Nutrition and Health graduate Sam, who is from Lisburn, said he would highly recommend the Loughry degree courses and placement opportunities.

“The work placement has really complemented my studies at Loughry and given me such a diverse range of experiences, from quality assurance to product development opportunities. I would highly recommend it to anyone especially as this is the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink with July the month we celebrate our seas, rivers and loughs.”

If anyone is interested in doing the same and starting your journey towards an interesting and well paid career in food and drink, see the CAFRE website for details.

Notes to editors: 

1. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office, pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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