“I’m a hands-on person, so I learn by doing. I’ve really enjoyed going into the labs to make ice cream, cheese or sausages.”
In his first year, Matthew worked as part of a team to develop a product that could be made in Vietnam using locally-produced food and processes. In his second year, his team had to invent a food that might be consumed in 2070.
“We were given lots of creative freedom to imagine what technology might be available in the future,” Matthew says.
He has also gained practical skills from having work experience each summer, which has ranged from conducting milk temperature tests in a dairy plant to trying to develop new food products for older people who find it difficult to chew.
Matthew hopes to work in the dairy industry when he finishes his degree, and believes the hands-on experience he has had during his studies will give him a head start in the job market.