Loughry National Diploma students innovate for Avondale Foods

Local food manufacturer Avondale Foods recently challenged the final year National Diploma students to design a new and innovative food product. The competition concluded in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitch to Avondale’s Head of Product Development, Diane Christie, and Senior Product Developer, Renata Lima.

The winning ‘Out of the Box’ Team – Ruth Robinson, Jeni Milligan, Philip Cross and Chloe Farrell, pictured with Derek McDowell, CAFRE and Renata Lima and Diane Christie, Avondale Foods

Avondale Foods provided each student team with a product brief at the start of the semester. Over the following 14 weeks the students designed their products and compiled business plans. Diane Christie was very impressed with the innovative, fully packaged prototypes produced by the teams, each filling a gap in the current market.

All products had unique selling points but, after careful deliberation, the winning team, ‘Out of the Box’, was awarded the Samuel Geddis Perpetual Cup for its spicy Butternut Squash, Chorizo and Apple soup. The judges were impressed with the delicious texture of the soup as well as the carefully balanced flavour. The soup was also healthy- low in calories, fat and sugar.

The team were delighted with the result. Team member Chloe Farrell said: “We wanted our soup to be a healthy and nutritious lunchtime snack for busy professional people, but different from the products that are currently available in the major retailers.” 

With its excellent food industry links and state of the art facilities, Loughry Campus develops highly employable students through programmes ranging from BTEC National Diplomas to honours degrees.

To find out more about exciting food courses, check out the CAFRE website.

By Alison Glover, Loughry Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)

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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