A UNIVERSITY is to hold a series of food-themed workshops at a Knutsford hotel.

The University of Chester’s Explore Food and Drink team is offering small food and drink businesses in the north west a helping hand on the long road to becoming an established brand.

In the coming weeks the team will host a series of workshops which are aimed specifically at entrepreneurs from the food and drink sector.

The following events, which take place at The Cottons Hotel and Spa, will focus on two core areas – artisan goods and craft brewing.

Meet the Buyer, is on February 22 from 8am to 5pm, and will give business owners the chance to showcase their products to buyers in the food industry.

Six days later, on February 28, there will be a workshop titled ‘Hygiene in the Food Catering Industry’, which runs from 8am to midday.

This interactive workshop offers an introduction to food hygiene, and the rapid tests that can be used in the workplace to evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning and control procedures.

The final session, which takes place on March 1, is titled ‘Allergens in Food and Feed’, and also runs from 8am until midday.

For more information on these and future workshops – which will include labelling and consumer psychology – visit explorefoodanddrink.org or contact Peter York, Explore Food and Drink administrator at the university, at p.york@chester.ac.uk or on 01244 511572.