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Ilkeston firm Aburnet awarded £270,000 to create 'hairnet of the future'

It's already the world's market leader for hairnets that are used in food production - and now an Ilkeston family firm has been awarded £276,000 to create an innovative new product that offers another advertising platform.

Aburnet, which also has an office in Long Eaton, has been granted the money by Innovate UK - an agency that reports to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - to create headwear with promotional messages for the food service industry to protect against hair contamination.

Using "StayCool" technology, the product keeps moisture away from kitchen staff members' heads to keep them cool. The product is described as highly durable, reusable, recyclable and comes as one-size-fits-all.

Using the money, the company will now work with students from Nottingham Trent University and Trimlace to develop the product, named Tek-Chef Headwear.
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Managing director Richard Burnet said: "We have continued to grow in recent years but now is the time to really invest, we have the knowledge in technical fabrics to do so.

"Having worked with universities on previous projects we know it really adds value to us and those students involved.

"One of the most exciting parts of this project is the way in which consumers will be able to design their own headwear via our specially-designed website, which we are working with Nottingham Trent University to develop.


"This means whatever a company wants to promote can be included on their headwear."

Aburnet was established in 1898 and was known for a number of years as producers of hairnets. The company has diversified and created a number of new products over the years, expanding to larger premises in 2015.

Many of its products hold the HACCP International certification, which recognises safe food equipment and materials.

As part of the Innovate UK project, Aburnet will create a website to enable clients to design their own headwear with promotional messages.

Siobhan Urquhart, innovation co-ordinator at Nottingham Trent University, added: "My role is to work with local businesses on their innovation projects, linking up businesses with expertise from the university.

"The Aburnet project has provided an opportunity for our graphics students to work on a live, commercial design project for one of Aburnet's new hair containment solutions.

"The students have come up with some really interesting designs that will be used primarily in the food industry.

"With Aburnet's strong network of suppliers we can expect to see some of the designs used in a commercial setting across the UK and beyond."
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Hugh Forest, a lecturer in visual communications at the university, added: "The collaboration between the graphic design course at NTU and Aburnet is an exciting opportunity for students of all levels to get first-hand experience of working directly with an innovative commercial client with exacting standards.

"Our role as staff is to guide the process offering feedback on the wide range of concepts generated as well as technical support required for the industrial application of a diverse range of graphics in this ground-breaking print on demand system."

It's already the world's market leader for hairnets that are used in food production - and now an Ilkeston family firm has been awarded £276,000 to create an innovative new product that offers another advertising platform.