Naomi Posner-Horie, a gelato entrepreneur, from Bloomington, Indiana, recently visited Northern Ireland to discuss gelato production and distribution. During her study tour Naomi visited the Loughry Campus of The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) with the author. CAFRE's Loughry Campus is located close to Cookstown in Mid Ulster.

Naomi met CAFRE Deputy Director Dr Sam Kennedy, who explained the role of Loughry and its work in education, training and extension services in Northern Ireland.

Joy Alexander and Dr Rosemary McKee discussed the technical support available to food businesses in Northern Ireland from Loughry's technologists. Rosemary also demonstrated equipment for ice cream and gelato manufacture and discussed some of the challenges facing gelato entrepreneurs in the UK.

 Derek McDowell reviewed the extensive range of full time and part times courses in food offerred and explained the training available for those already employed in the industry. Mary Ireland, Senior Food Packaging Technologist discussed the packaging testing work done in Loughry’s Food Packaging Centre.

 Speaking to the author after the visit Naomi looked forward to taking students from CAFRE on work experience and sending her staff on courses to CAFRE.