We talk to Stella Graham from the award-winning Foodovation Centre on how it helps small businesses take that next step to success.
The Foodovation Centre at North West Regional College in Derry-Londonderry is an award-winning centre of excellence for food development and technology. It helps small businesses with product development and upskills them so they have the knowledge and skills to take their business to the next level.
Foodovation has clients in all sectors of the food industry including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, bakery, sauces, meals and drinks. The centre opened in November 2016 following a £500K investment by the college, which had been offering hands-on advice and support to new businesses for a number of years. Foodovation Centre Manager Stella Graham has worked in the food industry for over 10 years, specifically in product development across the bakery, dairy and meat sectors. She has put her knowledge of the product development process to good use in her role within Foodovation, which she has held for the past year.
Stella supports entrepreneurs and businesses with turning their ideas and recipes into market viable products. “Foodovation is all about ‘realising business ambitions in food and drink’ and my role varies daily from helping a local chef turn their recipe into a shelf-ready product, to helping someone with a great idea or hobby to develop their product so they can sell at local food markets,” she explains. “As a team we offer a ‘hands on’ approach to product development covering everything from recipe development and standardisation to detailed research and testing for food and drink companies. It is very busy as so many small companies have so many great ideas. It is a delight to see these companies and people grow, through acquiring new skills and developing their business opportunities.”
The centre’s state-of-the-art facility is fully equipped with everything an entrepreneur or business could need to upscale production, including a kitchen studio and development kitchen. Clients are also assisted with technical knowledge and skills transfer so that they can develop their current product and more in the future too. “We are able to assist businesses leverage support from the Department for the Economy (DfE), such as InnovateUs and Skills Focus, to get the skills needed to sustain and grow their business by innovation and skills development. We also help them to tap into Invest NI funding such as Innovation Vouchers,” Stella explains. “We like to think of the Foodovation Centre as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for food and drink product development. Our aim is to ‘transform ideas into market ready products’.”
As Stella explains, many producers visit the Foodovation Centre with an idea but don’t entirely know how to progress to the next stage. The centre helps to take that nugget of an idea and develop it into a viable plan in practical ways – and producers pick up valuable knowledge and skills at the same time. “So many producers are delighted that the support is available as food and drink product development is a ‘minefield’ to approach on your own. Through using the Foodovation Centre, and the programmes such as Innovate Us and Innovation Vouchers, they develop their skills as well as developing great products.” A centre such as this can also provide the important benefit of bringing likeminded people together. Producers and businesspeople who are experiencing the same things can meet others who are in the same boat and build a strong network. It’s an important support, both personally and professionally, at what can be a very stressful time.
As Stella points out, clients of the Foodovation Centre face a number of challenges on a day-to-day basis and the centre provides the practical support that helps to smooth the path ahead. “A small or start up business is a large undertaking. The clients’ energy and enthusiasm usually means they embrace the challenges and, with our help and support, find their way around these.” Common challenges include a lack of space to develop products, lack of time to commit to new product development, lack of skills on how to take their products to the next level, as well as financial challenges. However with great support, such as that of the Foodovation centre the results, Stella says, can be fantastic. “Their entrepreneurial spirit is infectious and there is a real sense of achievement when the project is delivered both for the client and for ourselves.”
In the three years it has been active, demand for support from the Foodovation Centre has grown significantly – and the team is constantly adapting to make sure it fits the needs of both its client and the ever-changing market. “The Foodovation team has doubled in size and the number of local businesses supported has increased significantly,” Stella notes, adding, “The icing on the cake is that many of these businesses are still innovating and growing. They really appreciate the support they received from the Foodovation Centre to help them on their journey, and keep in touch with us as their businesses grow.”
ABOUT STELLA GRAHAM
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Randalstown, a small town outside Antrim best known for Shane’s Castle.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am a keen ‘foodie’ and love eating out, trying new restaurants and foods and taking part in food tours. There are so many great products on our doorstep here that we take for granted. I also enjoy the gym, swimming and reading.
What do you never leave the house without?
I never leave the house without my phone. I would be totally lost without it as I can now use it to pay for things, directions, finding new places to try and keeping in touch.
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