Owen Taylor & Sons is proud to be a founding employer partner of David Nieper Academy, helping students connect classroom learning with the realities of the workplace and develop the skills and confidence needed for future employment.

Central to this partnership is the annual Owen Taylor Burger Challenge, which has run since 2017 as part of the academy’s Year 10 Enterprise Week. Students work in teams to create a commercially viable burger, taking responsibility for product development, marketing, packaging design and pitch writing. Supported by the Owen Taylor team, they develop and present their ideas before a winning product is selected for further development and potential sale in the company’s retail shop.

The 2026 challenge produced a highly creative range of entries, including “The American” and “No Burger”. Team 1 secured the winning title with “Caribbean Smash”, a sweet and spicy burger. The product will now be refined and tested in Owen Taylor’s development kitchen, ready for sale later in the year.

Owen Taylor colleagues also support the academy’s mock interview programme, giving pupils valuable experience of recruitment and constructive feedback from local employers. Alongside its involvement in World of Work and Enterprise Week activities, the company contributes ingredients, professional expertise and staff time.

This long-standing relationship demonstrates Owen Taylor’s commitment to its local community and to inspiring the next generation. By combining hands-on product development with realistic workplace experiences, the partnership helps pupils build creativity, teamwork, communication, commercial awareness and employability skills.