Students Create 'Nice Rice' Product During Hampton Creek Fellowship

Meeting with Hampton Creek’s leaders.

Making the case for rice.

Presenting the plan.

Presenting the plan.

Answering questions

Hampton Creek leaders like the idea

Photo Submitted

From left, Madeline Hopson (agricultural business), Ashton Julian (human nutrition), John Harpool (English) and Stanley Chukwuanu (hospitality innovation) making their presentation at Hampton Creek.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Students from different disciplines in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas teamed together to create a low-cost, nutritious food product for a San Francisco-based food startup, Hampton Creek, during an intensive, fully immersive fellowship program with the company.

Stanley Chukwuanu in hospitality innovation, Madeline Hopson in agricultural business and Ashton Julian in human nutrition along with English major John Harpool completed several workshops with Hampton Creek food teams then developed their product during the three-day program in January.

“This was a great opportunity to learn about the food industry,” said Hopson. “We learned about the business side, not only from their CEO Josh Tetrick, but the research and development team, the chefs, marketing team and their plant researcher. We saw how their company works from start to finish and how important each person is in producing their products. Each employee was inspiring and encouraging.”

The group’s assignment was to create a nutritious food product for a target community, develop a business model for selling the product at a minimum of a small profit through specific retailers and form a strategy to ensure the product reaches communities needing it most.

“We gave the Fellows an impossibly complex challenge that the best and brightest in the world have not yet solved,” said Taylor Quinn, emerging markets director for Hampton Creek. “In 2.5 days they banded together and designed a multi-faceted business targeting America’s ‘food deserts’ (geographic areas where affordable, nutritious food is not readily available). It was incredibly impressive work.”

The group focused on affordability while understanding many consumers do not eat the healthiest foods, which leads to malnourishment and obesity.

The team created a “Nice Rice” product ready to eat in 90 seconds and providing 25 percent of daily recommended vitamins and minerals. Rice was chosen as the primary ingredient to take advantage of Arkansas’ nation-leading rice production.

“I grew up on a rice farm and wanted to incorporate rice,” said Hopson, who is from Stuttgart. “We realized we could create a delicious and nutritious rice blend, but once you add ingredients, some families with children may stay away if they don’t like everything. ‘Nice Rice’ allows families to get many nutrients they need from a rice blend. It has everything you need to stay healthy as well as a good flavor. Families will enjoy it without realizing they are eating healthy.”

“Nice Rice” is similar to Rice-a-Roni products, nutritionally fortified and containing dehydrated vegetables.

The group’s plan includes distributing “Nice Rice” to regional grocery stores throughout the state, making a nutritious, low-cost food item available through Bill’s Cash Saver (five locations), Edwards Food Giant (seven locations) and Hay’s (12 locations) with eventual expansion through Dollar General.

“The insights generated by the Fellows created real value at Hampton Creek, insights that are helping the company’s work in making healthy food accessible to all,” said Quinn. “On Day 1, the Fellows were understandably reserved. By Day 3, they were challenging our CEO and pushing back on flavor decisions with our Michelin-star chefs. These Fellows came into their own, and I can’t wait to follow what they do in coming years.”

“In just a few days, the passion and enthusiasm of the U of A Fellows could be felt as they immersed themselves in their project,” said Hampton Creek chef Kaimana Chee. “From start to finish, they demonstrated a synergetic approach to solving a real food issue plaguing food deserts around the globe. The experience seemed to transform the Fellows in ways that transcend their individual disciplines.”

Team members were selected after applying for the fellowship. The U of A was invited to participate based on its relationship with Chartwells, which is the education component of Compass Group, the largest foodservice company in the world. Hampton Creek is a partner with Compass Group, providing Just Mayo, Just Dressings and Just Cookies at schools, corporate cafeterias, hospitals and other Compass locations across the country.

Andrew Lipson, U of A resident district manager for Chartwells, and Bari Marchfeld, Chartwells director of student success, assisted in selecting students for the Fellowship.

“Hampton Creek and Chartwells provided an amazing experience I’ll never forget,” said Hopson. “I made several connections, and my team prepared a presentation that helped with our public speaking, organization and working with others, which will be helpful in our future careers.”

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.