Students Turn Wonky Fruit Into Success
Four Harper Adams University students transformed a classroom project into Riff, a sustainable snack brand using rescued fruit. The team will represent the UK at the European Young Enterprise Finals.
A team of student entrepreneurs from Harper Adams University will represent the United Kingdom at the European finals of the Young Enterprise competition this July with an innovative snack brand that transforms surplus fruit into high-fibre snack bars.
The four-member team—Lucie Campbell, Hannah Plush, Ava Kind and Caden Aycliffe—developed Riff, a range of minimally processed snack bars made from rescued “wonky” fruit that would otherwise go to waste. The idea originated after the team noticed an abundance of bruised bananas in a university community fridge, inspiring a business focused on reducing food waste while promoting gut health.
What began as a university business project has since evolved into a registered company. According to team member Lucie Campbell, positive feedback from industry experts at the Young Enterprise National Finals encouraged the group to take the venture beyond the classroom.
“Our project started as a practical way to apply what we had learned during our business studies,” Campbell said. “The encouragement we received convinced us there was genuine demand for a planet-responsible brand like Riff.”
The company’s initial product range includes four flavours: Wonky Banana & Peanut, Wonky Cacao & Hazelnut, Wonky Spiced Apple & Seed, and Wonky Berry & Seed. The founders also plan to introduce limited seasonal varieties using rescued produce available throughout the year.
Riff’s bars are designed to maximise the nutritional value of rescued fruit by using freeze-drying technology and incorporating parts of the fruit that are often discarded, including banana peel and cacao husks. Each bar provides around 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of fibre, according to the company.
The business combines sustainability with nutrition, aiming to tackle food waste while offering consumers a plant-based, fibre-rich snack option.
The European Young Enterprise Finals, scheduled for the second week of July, will see the Harper Adams team compete against student entrepreneurs from across Europe, showcasing British innovation in sustainable food production.
