The prize winners for this year were:
- Gold - Econauts (University of Nottingham)
- Silver- Seafuel (University of Reading)
- Bronze - DinoDips (University of Reading)
Check out the three products here:
On 6 July 2021, twelve ‘dragons’ watched five presentations and assessed each product’s marketability, feasibility, and whether they conformed to competition rules and regulations. They also analysed each team’s business plan for its product. Following the presentations, they interviewed the teams, delving deeper into details about their products, including the packaging, branding, eco-friendliness and scalability of production. Even with the restrictions caused by COVID-19, competition has been fierce this year. Presentation skills were put to the test, and the judges found the innovation and ingenuity on show very inspiring and promising.
Jemima Willgoss, a food science student at the University of Nottingham and Team Manager of ‘Econauts’, said, "We are so excited to have won the UK Ecotrophelia competition 2021! With the added pressures of Covid-19 and working remotely this year, we are so pleased to have been able to share our product with the judges and still be able to convey its delicious flavour and mouthfeel through Zoom! We are really looking forward to the challenge of the European final and can’t wait to see what amazing products the other teams have been developing." Team Econauts will go on to compete against other national teams from across Europe for the chance to win up to €6,000 at the Ecotrophelia European final, which will take place during ANUGA in Cologne, Germany in October 2021.
Team ‘SeaFuel’ from the University of Reading secured the silver prize and £1,000 with their protein seaweed cracker crisps. The bronze prize and £500 was awarded to Team ‘Dino Dips’, also from the University of Reading with their gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan fortified lunchbox snack for young children.
IFST would like to also acknowledge the teams that made it to the finals, including Team ‘Re-Gen’ who created YQ wheat cereal bars made from seasonal ingredients grown through agroforestry farming principles and also Team ‘Edam and Eve’ who created high-protein, mixed berry plant-based smoothies made from whole ingredients, packaged into crafty edamame-derived cartons.
Read more about the teams products and the history of the competition below: