28 April 2015

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Pupils at Hazlehead Academy in Aberdeen have showcased the results of an exciting manufacturing business challenge to create a new baked item using local produce for craft bakers JG Ross, building on the success of last year's challenge.

The Academy joined forces with the local bakers as part of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation's (SFDF) 'A Future in Food' national schools programme, to give students a taste of food and drink and encourage them to think about the career opportunities available within the industry. This year's challenge has seen S2* pupils working in teams over the last three months to design and create their own baked goods, which were finally unveiled on Friday. Judging the culinary creations, Cameron Ross, Production Director of JG Ross, and Moira Stalker, National Schools Programme Coordinator at SFDF, selected two winning products to be added to the JG Ross range.

The winning products were announced as Bramble Delights, a layered sponge with blackberries created by pupils Jodie McGuiness, Hollie Harwood and Claire McLeod, and Rhubarb and Ginger Muffins, presented by Emily Adam, Abagayle Adams, Emily Donaldson and Christopher Sharman.

Moira Stalker, SFDF Schools Programme Coordinator, said: “We're incredibly excited to be working in partnership with Hazlehead Academy and J&G Ross for the second year running. This initiative not only teaches pupils about our industry, but it also gets them thinking about how food is made and the many exciting careers the Scottish food industry has to offer. The winning entries offered an impressive take on very traditional Scottish products, demonstrating superb technical ability and presentation.”

Launching the challenge in January, Cameron Ross used his visit to the Academy to provide students with a glimpse into the day-to-day workings of the industry and gain an insight into the product development process.

The 28 pupils followed a week by week plan developed by Judith Findlay, Home Economics teacher at the Academy. They learned about packaging, labelling and the use of different ingredients in their new products. Each team used the knowledge gained to review their peers' creations and also received feedback from the company and guest visitors.

Judith Findlay, Home Economics teacher at Hazlehead Academy, said: “Due to the success of last year's challenge with JG Ross we decided to run this again. The challenge has really brought the Curriculum for Excellence to life and the pupils have learnt a lot about the career opportunities available in the food industry. They really enjoyed working in a group to develop their own products and found the presentations from industry experts and the visit to the site invaluable. It has been great for staff and pupils to work so closely with a local business and we hope to continue with this partnership for years to come.”

Jim McCormack, Scottish Baker's Senior Training Advisor gave the pupils a practical bakery demonstration. They also heard about product development from Kirsty Gillies, founder of Angelic Gluten Free, and received a masterclass on presentation skills from Charlie Aitken founder of Thor Holt Ltd. A visit to J G Ross's factory offered the opportunity for students to make scones and butteries.

Cameron Ross, Production Director at JG Ross, commented: “I have enjoyed working with Hazlehead Academy again on this fun challenge. The pupils have shown great enthusiasm researching the different ideas and ingredients before coming up with their final products. It was great to see the final results of the challenge and we found it very difficult to pick just two winners.”

For more information contact:

Contact Kirsty Ritchie, Scottish Food and Drink Federation (SFDF), at: kirsty.ritchie@sfdf.org.uk, or 0131 222 8040.

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