Welcome to the National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) – offering part-time study for food industry employees and innovation for businesses. The NCFM is a satellite campus of the University of Lincoln, situated in Holbeach in South Lincolnshire.
The National Centre for Food Manufacturing is dedicated to helping food industry employees advance their careers. We understand the demands of studying while working in this fast-moving, dynamic industry while balancing family commitments. Our part-time apprenticeships and distance-learning provision enables flexible study for those working across a range of areas.
We are also committed to helping the sector innovate, and work with employers and partners towards this goal, aided by our partnership with leading equipment suppliers and our outstanding specialist facilities, food factory, and cutting-edge automation.
We are committed to partnering with employers to develop and deliver apprenticeships to meet their needs. We aim to provide the best experience for apprentices through flexible delivery and innovative teaching and learning.
Our partnership with industry is at the heart of our research agenda. With sector links and close academic partnership, our multidisciplinary research for the food industry has expanded quickly to support the sector's growth and challenges.
The National Centre for Food Manufacturing has a strong track record of working with the food industry sector in the development and delivery of training courses and the provision of food business support services.
Work-based distanced learning alumnus, Shane Rawlings, delivered an inspirational alumni speech at our September Graduations. Already in the world of work when, at the age of 25, he decided he needed a career change. To find something he was passionate about - which turned out to be -food. A distance learner, Shane graduated from the University of Lincoln's National Centre for Food Manufacturing in 2021.
The University of Lincoln's Holbeach Campus is home to the National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM). This hub provides specialist facilities and industry-standard equipment, including analytical laboratories with a test kitchen and sensory testing suite, a technician training centre, and processing facilities.
Institutes of Technologies have been formed across England to enhance the career and employment chances of young people and adults. The programmes that have been created have been designed in collaboration with employers, colleges, and universities to ensure you are work ready and offer clear career progression.
At Lincoln, our aim is to develop the talent and skills to drive exciting new age industries and play a role in enabling a dynamic, technology driven economy. Explore our programmes and hear from our students.
If have you missed any of our recent live webinars, you can catch-up on the recordings of these on our website. Topics include everything from Mitigating COVID-19 in the Food Manufacturing Sector to a range of Masterclasses and Apprenticeship overviews.
The South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone in Holbeach is a multi-million-pound business park and strategic investment for the Agri-food sector, and a prime location from where businesses can grow, with their skills and innovation needs supported by the National Centre for Food Manufacturing and the wider University.
The NCFM’s new £10m campus includes an Innovation Centre with labs, test kitchen, sensory suite, teaching rooms, and a Digital Food Manufacturing Technologies Centre, part of the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology, complementing the Food Automation, Robotics and Processing Research Centre on Park Road.
‘‘We recognise that the University has a key role to play in helping businesses to attract new talent and meet the sectors’ challenges through the rapid adoption of robotics and other technologies, and these excellent facilities and the wealth of academic and industry expertise available at the NCFM is clearly going to help."
- Professor Val Braybrooks, Dean of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing
The Centre of Excellence in Agri-food Technology
Holbeach
Spalding
PE12 7FJ