Food and drink innovation centre The Food WorksSW has launched an exciting competition offering food and drink producers, hospitality businesses or start-ups across the United Kingdom the chance to win a unique prize worth over £3,000.

Based in the heart of the Weston-super-Mare Enterprise Area, the centre, which is the only one of its kind in the south west, is offering five days' free use of a state-of-the-art development kitchen, each of which contains specialist equipment tailored to five key areas within the industry - bakery, dairy, drinks, commercial and trial.

The centre's New Product Development and Innovation Manager, Zoe Plant, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the lucky winner to scale-up production, introduce new lines or develop a new concept, produce short runs, reformulate a product with expert help, pilot product improvements or simply trial the use of commercial and state-of-the-art equipment.”

On top of this, the lucky prize winner will receive up to two days of new product development support from the experienced on-site team and one year's business membership. Membership benefits include four hours of technical support and discounted rates on hiring the facilities.

The esteemed judging panel will consist of the President of the Guild of Food Writers and author of the cookbook 'Two's Company: Simple' Orlando Murrin, journalist Martin Hesp, and the centre's New Product Development and Innovation Manager, Zoe Plant.

Andrew Collinson, Director of Operations at The Food and Drink Forum, which operates the facility on behalf of North Somerset Council, said: “This competition offers a fantastic opportunity for a food and drink business to win up to one week in one of our state-of-the-art development kitchens. These include standard catering equipment as well as specialist kit for bakery, dairy, ready meals and drinks development. Built to food-grade standard and meeting the latest environmental health legislation, these facilities allow businesses of any size – from start-ups to large enterprises – to scale up production, introduce new lines, produce short runs, and pilot product improvements. I'd urge anyone interested to enter.”

To find out more about the competition and details of how to enter, please visit www.foodworks-sw.co.uk/competition. Entries must be submitted by emailing enquiries@foodworks-sw.co.uk by 12pm on Saturday 1st April 2023. The competition prize must be redeemed by 1st September 2023. 

About The Food WorksSW 

Since the food and drink innovation centre's launch in 2020, The Food WorksSW has proved a game changer for over 130 food and drink brands, with established and new businesses all benefiting from the use of outstanding facilities and resources.

The state-of-the-art facilities on offer at the Food WorksSW include five product development kitchens which are available for flexible short-term contract hire for food and drink businesses of all sizes to test, develop and manufacture their products. Prices start from just £80.75 per day (plus VAT).

A team of food industry experts is on hand to help businesses navigate their way through a range of food disciplines, from new product development, and quality assurance hygiene, to food safety and efficiency. The Food WorksSW helps to turn good ideas into viable and scalable propositions.

The Food WorksSW also offers readily accessible meeting spaces, including fully equipped conference rooms, and a business lounge for hire. The business lounge and coffee shop is open to all businesses and offers a free space to utilise for networking, informal meetings or as an alternative workspace, with secure WiFi and parking.

For more information on how The Food WorksSW can help you and your business, visit foodworks-sw.co.uk, or to stay up-to-date follow @foodworks_sw on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ENDS

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About The Food WorksSW

• The Food WorksSW is a state-of-the-art food and drink innovation centre located in the heart of the Weston-super-Mare Enterprise Area, near Junction 21 of the M5 motorway. It's the only centre of its kind in the south west.
• The centre was created by North Somerset Council following feedback from food and drink producers that they needed facilities and support as it wasn't available elsewhere. For many, this limited their ability to grow their business and create jobs. The centre now helps businesses of all kinds - from start-ups to well-established companies - to grow or diversify their product offering. Not only does this support the sector, it underpins the council's goal to strengthen economic growth across the area.
• North Somerset Council selected Nottingham-based The Food & Drink Forum to operate The Food WorksSW on its behalf. For more information, visit www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk.132 businesses have been helped by The Food WorksSW so far (February 2023).
• The Food WorksSW Food Innovation Centre is home to five development kitchens, each containing specialist equipment centred around creating different products including dairy, bakery and drinks. These are available for flexible short-term hire by food and drink businesses of all sizes to test, develop and manufacture their products. Specific information about the kitchens and the equipment available can be found at www.foodworks-sw.co.uk/development-kitchen-hire.
• The innovation centre helps both start-ups and established businesses with the experience and equipment they need to innovate and grow. 
• The development kitchens, which are available with or without onsite technical and development support, contain specialist equipment tailored to the areas within the industry - bakery, dairy, drinks, commercial and trial. Flexible short-term contract-hire is available for businesses of all sizes to test, develop and manufacture their products, or dishes, with prices starting from just £80.75 per day and are subject to VAT.
• 10 of the 12 on-site food-grade business units at The Food WorksSW are currently let and in use by food and drink producers. With 24/7 access to the secure sites, the units contain food-grade non-slip resin flooring, a staff kitchen and changing area, roller shutter doors, three and single phase electricity, video intercom system and access control, discounted use of the development kitchen space and meeting rooms, access to specialist business and technical development support and free business membership with site operators, The Food & Drink Forum.
• The food innovation centre also includes state-of-the-art accessible meeting rooms, conference facilities and a coffee shop where events can be hosted. Anyone is welcome - businesses do not have to operate in the food and drink sector to book these facilities.
• The Food WorksSW technical team provides businesses with support including food safety and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP); developing a product; scaling up production; product costing; labelling compliance; and certification such as British Retail Consortium (BRC), Safe and Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) and Support Training and Service (STS). More information can be found at www.foodworks-sw.co.uk/technical-support.
• Gelato, salsa, kefir water, vegan cheese, deli items, brownies, chilli sauces, high protein cookies, frozen ready meals and curry dishes are among the products which have been developed at The Food WorksSW. Established brands including Hullabaloos Drinks, Trethowan Brothers, Butcombe Brewery, Hoots Sauce, Sunbird Kitchen and the Field Doctor have all benefited from using the centre's facilities and support. Many chefs also regularly use the venue to develop their menus.
• Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited The Food WorksSW to officially open the facility on Friday 22 October 2021. You can read more about this in the North Somerset Council news release: www.n-somerset.gov.uk/news/royal-opening-food-drink-centre 
• More information can be found at www.foodworks-sw.co.uk