Nunnerywood School visit the RFA

Last week, Harper Adams welcomed the Nunnerywood School to the Regional Food Academy to discover more about dairy and how they can be involved in the wonder of food.

Upon arriving to campus, the pupils headed over to the RFA where members of our food department awaited their arrival. Donning their white coats, they were invited inside to learn about sensory exploration and ice cream.

During the activity, the pupils were able to create their own ice creams, considering flavours, colours and how these can impact perception. Once they had made their ice creams, they had the opportunity to taste test a number of different samples of known brands; these all differed in price, value and flavour.

They tried the samples in tasting booths which modified the lighting to see if this had a sensory impact. From this, they rated the ice creams on flavour, taste, texture and colour. The purpose of the activity was to look at product development, coming up with new ideas and thinking about the market's perception and value of the product.

Following this, the pupils learnt more about milk and the consumer. The nutritional benefits of milk have been in discussion in the media recently, and as a result, the students themselves were put to the test to make their own decision. They tried over twenty types of milk and investigated the nutritional value behind them all.

Following this, they looked at the cost analyst and marketing of the products. Understanding the dfferent options helped the pupils to assess their own choices in the supermarket.

At the end of the day, the students regrouped to talk about the range of opportunities available to them through studying a food degree. With a variety of different pathways, there are so many careers open to our students. Find out more about our food degrees here and see how you can join us to learn from a degree that matters.