Macphie Wins National Award for Local Education Partnership

As reported last week by Scotland Food & Drink, Stonehaven-based food ingredients manufacturer, Macphie of Glenbervie, has scooped a bronze award at the prestigious Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Community Partnership Awards for its work with Auchenblae

The company was presented with the award in the education category by the event’s host Tim Campbell, the first winner of the hit BBC show The Apprentice, for its S(o)uper Apprentice Challenge.

This challenge was designed to raise awareness of the diverse range of rewarding careers in the food industry through pupils developing their own soup products.

The FDF Awards, which took place at the Institute of Directors in London, reward the contributions and dedication shown by organisations throughout the food chain for making a positive difference in their local and business communities.

Macphie's S(o)uper Apprentice was a three-month collaborative project between Macphie, the school and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition as part of the Scottish Food and Drink Federation’s schools project to raise awareness of the diverse range of rewarding careers in the industry.

Twenty-five primary school children in years 4 and 5 (8 to 10 years old) took part in the challenge which also helped to develop their skills in core curriculum subjects such as maths, English, science and IT.

The pupils were split into teams to set up their companies, which included developing a recipe using healthy local ingredients, creating a brand, packaging design and formulating a marketing campaign.

Macphie employees supported the project with regular school visits as part of the Apprentice Panel to ensure the teams were progressing well. The final results were presented to the panel along with teachers, pupils and parents at a special school event where they found out which team was ‘HIRED’.

FDF director of communications Terry Jones said: "FDF’s Community Partnership Awards recognise the tremendous positive contribution UK food and drink companies make to society.

"Despite the many challenges businesses are facing, our sector has remained committed to making a positive difference, be it by reducing their environmental impact or by supporting local schools.

"This year’s winners are an inspiration to all businesses, both in and out of the food chain, and show not only what can be achieved when companies are committed to making a positive difference, but also why our sector is a such great place to be."

Sylvia Halkerson, Macphie's human desources director, said: "I’m thrilled that our continued work with schools has been recognised by winning this prestigious award.

"We’re grateful to all the teachers and children at Auchenblae Primary School for embracing the S(o)uper Apprentice challenge with such enthusiasm. This helped us show the children what kind of jobs they could be doing in the future and promote the food industry as a career destination of choice.

"Reports suggest bleak times ahead for young people in Scotland, and it is reassuring that companies are supporting initiatives that fit with the Curriculum for Excellence and promote an industry with real career opportunities at the end."

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