UCB students are prawn pioneers

Food and Consumer Management students have been challenged with finding a new cold water prawn recipe for UK foodservice as part of a live project and competition run by fishing company Royal Greenland. 

40 first year students were tasked with planning and presenting a meal that demonstrated the versatility of cold water prawns as, over the last five years, they have been overlooked by chefs and caterers in favour of warm water prawns such as King and Tiger. 

The students did plenty of research into their chosen recipes. They looked at menus from popular Birmingham restaurants, such as the Mailbox, and also looked at the consumer side. They then adapted their ideas and tailored them to their marketing research. 

The students brought some very innovative and delicious ideas to the table, such as prawns presented as cake-pops, prawn lasagne, and even prawn macaroons. The judges at Royal Greenland were looking for something new and appealing that demonstrated the many ways that fresh water prawns can be used. 

Randall Jennings, managing director for the UK at Royal Greenland said: “As leading seafood suppliers to the UK foodservice market, we need to champion cold water prawns and reiterate to chefs and caterers the benefits the species can offer.” 

The judges narrowed the dishes down to 10 contenders before making their final decision. The final results were as follows:

• 3^rd place – Robert Riddell and his oriental prawn salad
• 2^nd place – Matt Fox and his risotto prawn balls
• 1^st place – Benjamin Searle and his prawn terrine  

Each of the 10 finalists was awarded a certificate and a £15 Amazon voucher. In addition to this, Benjamin also received a £50 cheque for being the overall winner. 

Rachel Hilton, Project Development Lecturer at UCB, said: “This event has been great exposure for the students and showcases the amount of talent they have. Everyone worked really hard and I am very proud of their efforts and dedication.”