THE DUST HAS settled on Christmas Day for another year and we are left to pick at an endless supply of leftovers for the next week. 

If you’re someone who can’t think of Christmas without getting excited about the delicious dishes and meals that accompany the festivities or always find yourself in the kitchen on the morning of the big day, now is the perfect time to pursue that interest you have in food. 

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is offering a Level 9 Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship which will provide you with a fantastic springboard to kickstart a career in food. 

Julia Hemingway, a professional chef, dreamt of providing freshly cooked seafood along Ireland’s west coast but lacked the confidence, know-how, and finance to make her ambitious dream a reality. 

Julia Hemingway

Julia decided to register for the Level 9 Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship with the aim of developing her idea of opening a food truck. The course helped Julia navigate the various challenges of becoming a food entrepreneur and took her business idea from the concept stage to a viable business. 

On her enrolment in the course, Julia said, “I always dreamed of owning my own food business.”

“The course gave me the confidence to take the next step in setting up my business. The network we formed as a group, together with the inspiration of the course mentors and guest lecturers was invaluable to me,” Julia added.

Making her dream a reality, she took Julia’s Lobster Truck out for the first time in May 2017 and has gone from strength to strength since then, with a base of regular customers and lots of tourists visiting her every weekend.

Julia's Lobster Truck

Julia’s Lobster Truck has appeared on RTE’s Irish Food Trails with Neven Maguire, Paul Flynn’s Food Truck Favourites, Battle of the Food Trucks, and More 4’s Coast and Country since she opened.

Speaking on her experience enroling in the ATU Level 9 Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Julia said “The course is unique because there are so many food entrepreneurs involved in the delivery of it, that really appealed to me. I could see how valuable the course could be for me, and it certainly was.”

Looking for a way to develop her business acumen to execute her ambition, Julia said that the “know how to complete a business plan that would help me source funding for the business set up” that she gained from the course was invaluable in creating her business.

Julia found it motivating to learn from those who had overcome various barriers and challenges and found the network of peers developed as part of the course hugely supportive as she launched her business. Julia now gives her time to mentor current students on the programme.

The Level 9 certificate that Julie studied is a part-time, flexible 16-week course that is free or 90% funded through Springboard 2022.  

The course is not taught in a traditional classroom setting, with the majority of teaching taking place online from the comfort of student’s homes. There are two days of lectures per week, and a total of three on-campus sessions in Galway during the semester, giving students the chance to meet in person and still enjoy the benefits of blended learning.

Students will have the opportunity to interact with a broad range of project hosts, practitioners, industry leaders, and food entrepreneurs. With a focus on practical learning, those who enrol will get the opportunity to take part in real-life project challenges and interact with guest speakers from the industry in the course.

Applications for the course are open until January 9th 2023. Apply now.

Atlantic Technological University (formerly GMIT, LYIT and IT Sligo) have over 60 part-time courses now open for application for a January 2023 start. As a leader in part-time learning, ATU offers students the opportunity to study part-time through a variety of delivery modes such as online, blended, and on-campus learning. View the full course list here.