Food Dudes has spun out

Over the past ten years the Food Dudes programme at the School of Psychology has gone from strength to strength – winning grants, accolades, and awards around the world. In the process, it has improved the eating habits and health of hundreds of thousands of kids.  And recently, leading the school’s drive toward commercialisation, the programme has become its own spin-out company -  Food Dudes Health Ltd (FDH).

Under the leadership of Fergus Lowe and Pauline Horne, the School of Psychology’s Food and Activity Research Unit has pioneered the drive to apply behaviour-change research to real world problems. The new spin-out company, a collaborative venture with the University, will help commercialise their efforts. Set up as a Social Enterprise, FDH’s profits will be ploughed back into the company to develop further programmes that encourage healthy eating and activity in children. The University provided the initial investment which enables FDH to revamp its existing Food Dudes programmes and develop in new directions.

The University’s support of the establishment of FDH sets a very important and timely precedent which may serve to encourage other commercial innovations both within the School and in the wider University community. The University's representative on the Board of the new company is Dr Charles Leek, Head of Psychology. His appointment helps ensure a strong synergistic partnership between FDH and the School of Psychology. The other two Board members are Fergus Lowe, who is Chairman and Chief Executive, and Pauline Horne.

The School's Director of Commercialisation, Dr James Intrilligator said "The Food Dudes' award-winning approach is an excellent example of using the School of Psychology’s research both to change people's lives for the better and contribute to economic regeneration.

Publication date: 1 June 2012