A £3 million food academy will be built at Shropshire’s Harper Adams as part of a £10 million tranche of money heading to the university college, it was revealed today.

The funding from Advantage West Midlands will provide a huge boost to food producers in the region and provide much-needed teaching facilities.

A 100-seater theatre will also be constructed as part of the plans. Harper Adams will also receive £4 million over three years to start a rural employment network, and a further £2.9 million to build a student services centre.

The academy will provide a variety of services and activities in support of the food industry in the West Midlands, particularly small to medium enterprises.

Mark Pearce, for Advantage West Midlands, praised the development. 

He said: “The new food academy will make a real difference to the economy of the region, as well as drawing national and international attention to the key role that the West Midlands plays in the production and processing of food in the UK.

“The new centre will help to deliver two key priorities: to promote a learning and skillful region and to create conditions for business and economic growth, both of which are crucial in helping to increase the Gross Value Added for the region and reduce the £10 billion output gap.”

Situated in an old mill building at the centre of the Harper Adams campus, the mill will be converted to house a range of food technology facilities.

These will include a product development kitchen, processing hall, cheese room, taste panel room, focus group room, instrumental

The topic of food touches on almost every academic interest within Harper Adams, from agricultural food production through to food tourism and food engineering.”

By Rural Affairs Editor Nathan Rous