Awards recognise the best in Young Enterprise

Posted Today

Three of the members of Riff Snacks, the winning team from Harper Adams University - Hannah Plush, Lucie Campbell and Ava Kind

The hard work of young entrepreneurs from across Shropshire has been recognised at the Young Enterprise Company Programme and Start Up programme regional finals.

The finals were hosted by Harper Adams University, near Newport, Shropshire, and saw sixth-form and university-level teams competing.

Three teams drawn from Harper Adams Food and Business Undergraduates took part - a streetwear clothing company and social enterprise, a team of four developing a gut-friendly snack bar with surplus fruits, and an ambitious events company.

Young Enterprise Educational Partnerships Manager for Shropshire and Staffordshire, Teresa Fisher, said: “Young Enterprise have been delighted to have amazing teams from Harper Adams University taking part in this year’s Start Up programme!

“With business ideas that are interesting and unique, the three teams have battled for the winning place to represent the West Midlands at the National Final later this month.

“Guests were impressed and judges were wowed as their products, their journeys, and their future plans were showcased.” 

Meanwhile, several teams from Newport Girl’s School and one from Ludlow College competed in the sixth form category.

Pupils, their parents and teachers, companies from the region and judges and mentors from Young Enterprise all flocked to the University for the event.

A showcase of wider work and research by Harper Adams Food students ran alongside the finals, offering visitors to the event an opportunity to see the fantastic work and innovation being undertaken at the University.

The schools regional finals saw Newport Girl’s School company Neorla winning and being named Shropshire Company of the Year, as well as winning the award for Sustainability and Student Choice.

Meanwhile the top university team from the region was Riff Snacks, whose fruit-based gut-friendly snack bar draws on food waste research being carried out at Harper Adams, and has been honed with guidance from Telford-based Evolution Foods – where one of the team, Cayden Ayliffe, is employed as an apprentice alongside his University studies.

Both Neorla and Riff Snacks will now go forward to compete in the national finals.

Senior Lecturer in Food Business and Enterprise Zoe Harrison said: “It was a fantastic event to be part of - and there was a real buzz around the whole day!

“It was incredibly inspiring to see so many young people having the courage to develop and pitch their ideas, and the standard across all of the teams was genuinely impressive.

“What stood out most was how many of the teams had a strong sense of purpose behind them, with our students thinking not just about profit, but also about social impact, sustainability and creating something meaningful.

“It was also brilliant to see local school teams alongside our Harper Adams students, creating such an energetic and encouraging atmosphere throughout the event.

“It was a real celebration of curiosity, action and innovation across our region.”

^{We caught up with some of the competing teams from Harper Adams University to hear what they had to say - read more on our blog.}