The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) is delighted to announce the seven UK finalists of the 14th edition of the Ecotrophelia UK Competition.
The Ecotrophelia Competition challenges students around Europe to develop a sustainable and innovative food product from concept to market. It promotes environmentally and socially sustainable design, with the aim of inspiring future generations of entrepreneurs to create innovative products.
The seven nominees are entered into the UK final, which is jointly organised by the Institute of Food Science and Technology and Campden BRI. The nominees will be judged by industry leaders, with the eventual UK winner being entered into the European competition. Each finalist team will have the opportunity to pitch their products to top names from the food and drink industry.
Each year, the winning team receives a cash prize of £2,000, a year’s free IFST membership, and expert mentorship from the “dragons” who judge the competition, to aid in their preparations for the European final. The “dragons” are senior food experts from across the industry, from companies including The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Pepsi Lipton/Unilever, Tesco, PepsiCo, Sainsbury’s, Nestlé, Weetabix, Warburtons, Cranswick, Pladis Coca Cola, Mondelez, IFST and Campden BRI.
This year’s finalists are:
- BrewsGate - Teesside University
- CapyPancakes – University of Leeds
- Fibran – University of Surrey
- IndulgeCo – University of Reading
- Luna SFere – University of Reading
- ReHive – University of Nottingham
- Spent and Spicy - University of Nottingham
The 2026 UK final will take place at Gastronomica - Colworth Science Park (part of Pioneer Group) near Bedford on 24 June 2026. Now in its 14th year, the competition was launched in the UK in 2013 to foster competition and innovation in R&D and sustainability in the food sector. It continues to develop the next generation of food industry leaders and acts as an incubator for business ideas. Over the last 14 years, Ecotrophelia UK has received over 160 entries involving over 650 students from 25 different universities across the UK.
Bertrand Emond, Ambassador at Campden BRI commented “Ecotrophelia is a fantastic platform and source of eco-innovation and inspiration for the industry capitalising on the creativity and energy of our brightest and most enterprising food students supported by the best academic institutions.”
Dr Craig Leadley, Chief Executive of IFST added “Congratulations to all seven finalists. The creativity and ambition on display this year is a testament to the incredible talent coming through UK food science programmes. Ecotrophelia has always been about more than competition; it's a launchpad for the next generation of food innovators, and seeing students take bold ideas from concept to pitch is exactly what the industry needs. With sustainability at the heart of every entry, these teams are already thinking like the food leaders of tomorrow, and we look forward to welcoming them to Colworth in June.”