The AGRI Project supports a Harper Adams student to start up her business venture The Agri-tech Growth and Resources for Innovation Project (AGRI Project) has lent its support to a Harper Adams student to create her start-up business. BSc (Hons) Agri-Food Marketing and Business student, Zoe Legg contacted the AGRI Project in March 2021, after wanting to get her foot through the door in the health supplement world – while backing the UK’s dairy farmers – with her Better On British Whey brand. The AGRI Project, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is a partnership bet ..read more

If you are looking for flavoursome, artisan chocolate with delicate botanical notes then look no further than Sue Gilmour Chocolate. Based in Herefordshire, Sue has a passion for cooking and gardening, the result being beautifully crafted chocolates infused with the wonderful flavours of natural ingredients growing in her garden. Sue contacted the AGRI project (part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and run in partnership between Aston and Harper Adams Universities) after learning about the support from the Marches Growth Hub. Although Sue has a flair for creating delicious ..read more

Did you decide to eat healthy for your 2023 New Years Resolution? Well, many consumers did! Over the last few years, consumers have become much more health conscious in their choice food and drink. A study conducted in 2021 by Public Health England, showed that 8 in 10 over 18’s wanted to modify their lifestyle to be healthier and nearly half of people in the 40- 60 age range want to eat healthier. Therefore, the importance of clear labelling including nutritional and allergen information is even more important. The law states you must follow nutrition labelling information rules for ..read more

Hi, I am Raghavan Chinnambedu Murugesan, a Materials Scientist with over 15 years experience in the  field of chemistry, materials and photonics. I have substantial knowledge in the development of unique nano to bulk materials along with materials characterization, device fabrication and testing for range of electronic, optical and optoelectronic applications. I specialized in photonic technologies for Agri/food development research. For example, in the laboratory I have expertise in the use spectroscopic and other optical sensing techniques, for quality assessment to ensure food sa ..read more

The AGRI Project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by Aston and Harper Adams Universities supports companies from within specific sectors to develop in innovative and productive ways. Always on the look out for new and interesting opportunities to work with local businesses, the team were very excited when they met Alison Thomas, a forward thinking and savvy business woman at a Shropshire Chamber business networking event. Alison is part of a group of social enterprises working tirelessly to support and educate communities to take action and ownership of re ..read more

Hi, I am Ian Rickuss a Mechanical Design Engineer with over 40 years extensive knowledge and experience in product design, specialising in plastics and advanced prototype manufacturing. I am practical and hands-on and have successfully developed many projects of high & low volume from initial concept to full scale production. Suppling technical moulding for clients to a wide variety of industries, for example consumer electronics, gardening, packaging, automotive, waste disposal, construction and food processing. I am here to help and assist SMEs to develop their ideas and move their ..read more

Well, what can I say … it has been an absolute blast! As my 4 years and 7 months as Business Development Manager on the AGRI project draws to a close I can honestly say I have loved every second. From working with my fantastic colleagues across both Harper and Aston universities to the wonderful companies I have had the pleasure of getting to know, I have grown, developed and learned so much both professionally and personally; and for that I would like to say a huge thank you! There truly have been no lows, but certainly many highs along the way – seeing the impact and value we have been able ..read more

Some of you may know, that Dr Trisha Toop, our Innovation Manager, left the team to pastures new in October 2021. She wanted to say goodbye to all of the companies she worked with on the Agri Project and left with the following message: ‘It’s always a strange mix of emotions leaving one job to go to another. Sadness leaving the team you have worked with and excitement about meeting your new team. This is how I feel today, my last day working for the AGRI Project at Harper Adams University.  I will miss working with such brilliant colleagues and interacting with our amazing companies. Howe ..read more

It has been a few weeks since we attended the Shrewsbury Food Festival and I think my feet have just about recovered. We were asked to demonstrate the field to fork principle with regard to food production and had a prime spot right by the entrance. We designed a bale trail that illustrated the production of pizzas with stations along the trail showing the constitute ingredients and the technologies used to produce the pizzas available from the supermarket. Grinding of wheat grains for the dough, automated milking of cows for cheese production, phototonics (sensing with light) for tomato gradi ..read more

A little later than intended but here is our second ‘meet the team’ post with Tanya Postles our Food Innovation Specialist. What is your name? Tanya Postles What is your role on the project? Innovation Specialist Tell us something interesting about yourself? I have a Food Science Degree and worked for Dairy Crest in New Product Development and Technical Sales before having a career break to have my 2 children. Oh and I have a dog with no tail !! What do you like most about working with SMEs as part of the AGRI Project? The passion they have for their products, its infectious and makes me want ..read more