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SME workshop: Getting started with sensory evaluation 

During the Talent and Innovation Programme (2024-2025), The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University have been collaborating to deliver a programme of grants and support to businesses to improve innovation, productivity and skills across Nottingham City.  This has included hosting a workshop targetted at the Food and Drink Sector in the local area, to introduce them to the benefits of using sensory evaluation in their businesses. It aimed at providing them with the practical methodolgies, knowlegde and skills to implement sensory testing in their companies, even when operating at small scale or with a tight budget. 

Aims of the workshop

•       Highlight the multiple functions within a business where sensory evaluation can be helpful and demonstrate that it can be implemented easily and on a tight budget, to improve product quality, inform their product development and understand consumer responses to their products better.
• Inspire smaller businesses to start sensory testing.
• Teach the businesses how to set up and carry out some common sensory test designs in practice.
• Highlight best practice methods for reducing bias and setting up fair tests to collect high quality data on which business decisions can be made. 

The response

• The Food Innovation team conceptualised and delivered a 1-day workshop for Nottingham City Council businesses on 6^th November 2024 at Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham which included taught content, and practical sessions.
• The content drew on the University’s latest knowledge on principles and best practice in Sensory Science blended with the course leader’s previous experience of working in SME food and drink manufacturing businesses and implementing sensory testing successfully on tight budgets across a whole range of scenarios.  
• During the event businesses were encouraged to interact with each other, and share their individual business needs, so the content could be tailored to them personally. They first had the chance to participate in 4 different types of sensory test design and then learnt how they could set up those tests in their own businesses.
• In a follow-up feedback survey, 80% of participants ‘Strongly agreed’ that “the objectives of the workshop were met” and “I was engaged throughout”.

Participant testimonials

 A great mix of practical session and presentations. I have taken away some very valuable information that I can apply to my business and my drink that will help me to decide which flavours to launch and help with future flavour development.  Thank you for a truly informative day.

A lot of eye-opening pieces of what is important in food/drink consumers.

Love the combo of presentation and tests experience.

I think the interactive/’practical’ parts of the session were really fun and engaging. I also think they were helpful in showing different types of tests to participants who haven’t done much sensory testing.

The course was easy to follow and very accessible.

Alice [the course leader] was very engaging and paced the course to match the group.  The atmosphere was very relaxed, and Alice’s passion shone through.