the Food Business Initiative was set up in February 2002 as part of the Rural Business School at Harper Adams University College. Harper Adams is based in the small village of Edgmond near the market town of Newport in North Shropshire, 8 miles from the motorway and rail networks of Telford.

Harper Adams has gained a nation-wide reputation as the UK's leading provider of higher education to countryside based industries and communities. As well as a strong basis in agriculture Harper Adams also has vast expertise in areas such as tourism and leisure, food, engineering, rural affairs and the environment, and business management and marketing.

the Food Business Initiative has access to a broad range of in-house and external knowledge and expertise on which it can draw to deal with the issues faced by anyone who is setting up, running or growing their food business. the Food Business Initiative is in a unique position to help food businesses of all kinds in the farm-to-plate food chain through its management and technical services.