Pictured above: Carron Smith
An East Midlands organisation that supports new developments in
the food and drink sector is backing a firm's plan to launch the
first fruit-based salsas of their kind in the UK.
The Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) has awarded
£2,250 Innovation Advice and Guidance funding to support
development of Purple Pepper Fruit Salsas.
The four salsas have been created by Carron Smith, who runs
outside catering company Cookies of Oakham. After winning an award
for her initial product development of Purple Pepper at the Food
and Drink iNet Innovation Awards 2010, Carron is moving towards the
official launch of the products.
Now she's working with experts to find a way of maximising the
shelf life of the salsas and is looking at the best packaging for
her products.
The iNet, which links academic and private sector expertise and
knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs, has
granted funding to help Carron work with food technical experts at
Nottingham Trent University. Cookies of Oakham is match
funding the support.
"Since the products are made using only fresh and raw
ingredients and there's no cooking involved, challenges exist in
extending shelf life sufficiently to produce a commercially viable
product," said Carron, who lives in Glenfield, Leicester.
The Nottingham Trent University experts will help her to
determine the best ways for her salsas to be packaged to ensure
that they have maximum shelf life.
"The iNet has been absolutely fantastic through all of this,"
said Carron. "I couldn't have done it without their support and
without the support of Diana Thraves and Mike Dixon at Nottingham
Trent University."
Carron hopes that her Purple Pepper Fruit Salsas will be
launching by the end of August - initially for sale to local delis
and farm shops, and via food fairs. In the future she hopes to be
selling the products direct to customers online.
Richard Worrall, Food and Drink iNet director, said: "One of the
main functions of the Food and Drink iNet is to support the
development of promising new products, and Purple Pepper Fruit
Salsas fitted the bill perfectly. Carron has sought the advice of
experts from concept through to development, and we are pleased to
support her as she embarks on the final stages before product
launch."
The Food and Drink iNet, which is funded by East Midlands
Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF), is one of four regional iNets that operates across the
region. It has a pot of finance available this summer to provide
match-funded support for eligible projects, which could be focusing
on new products, accessing new markets or looking at new ways of
working.
The Food and Drink iNet aims to build on the tradition of
innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping
to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to
help research, develop and implement new products, markets,
services and processes. It is managed by a consortium, led by the
Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday,
Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the
University of Nottingham.