A group of newby food and drink producers will have the opportunity to put their trading skills to the test when they set out their stalls at the Mid Wales Autumn Fayre. The event (October 5th and 6th) at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd will feature an array of activities, including crafts, music, vintage vehicles, cooking demonstrations, and food and drink. The showground’s famous Food Hall will be filled with fantastic food and drink...
New food entrepreneur fund launched on innovation campus’ anniversary
A fund to support new food and feed start-ups has been launched by biosciences innovation and enterprise campus AberInnovation as it celebrates its fourth anniversary at an event on 24 th September 2024. Legacy Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme (LEAP), which will be funded by the Dick Lawes Legacy Fund, will support initiatives aiming to help aspiring entrepreneurs. Dick Lawes was a visionary entrepreneur who left a lasting impact on the dairy industry, founding Volac and L.E...
Roadshow boost for food and drink sustainability
The Welsh Government remains committed to collaborating with businesses to achieve its aim of creating one of the most sustainable food and drink supply chains in the world. To further this goal, the Welsh Government Food & Drink Wales Sustainability Cluster has announced a series of breakfast meetings that will take place across Wales over the coming months. Bringing businesses and experts together, the meetings offer a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded people, forge...
Black Mountains Smokery wins top honour at Great Taste Awards
Black Mountains Smokery is celebrating after winning one of the food and drink industry’s most prestigious awards. The Great Taste Awards, referred to as the Oscars of the food world, saw the Crickhowell based company’s Smoked Duck Breast taking the Golden Fork from Wales award. In another victory for Wales, Dà Mhìle Distillery’s Absinthe from Ceredigion, also earned the Nigel Barden Heritage Award for highlighting traditional production methods and heritage. Organised by the Guild of...
SEA BASS TAGGING TRIAL HELPS SUPPORT WELSH FISHING COMMUNITIES
An identification initiative launched to raise the profile of Welsh sea bass is providing a financial boost for Welsh fishermen and fish wholesalers. Prized for its quality and flavour, sea bass is one of the main fin fish species caught around the Welsh coast, and in 2022, some 53 tonnes of bass were landed in Wales. Launched as a trial in 2023, the #WelshSeafood tagged sea bass pilot scheme saw fishermen begin tagging their responsibly...
Cabinet Secretary expresses delight at Great Taste Awards triumph
The Great Taste Awards 2024 has once again highlighted the exceptional quality of Welsh food and drink, with numerous producers being recognised for their outstanding products. In a remarkable showcase of culinary prowess, Welsh producers have been honoured with a remarkable 149 awards, with 97 products achieving 1-star, 45 receiving 2-stars and 7 earning the gold stamp of approval with 3-stars. The awards come following recent statistics showing the food and drink industry in Wales...
Welsh brewers armed with technical know-how to take their breweries to the next level
Over 20 brewers from across Wales have tapped into the latest innovations and best practice from the UK’s leading provider of brewing and analysis services, allowing them to grow and develop their businesses. Brewing Skills Development is a course recently offered to brewers by the Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru | Food & Drink Skills Wales programme and the Food & Drink Wales Drinks Cluster on behalf of the Welsh Government and delivered by industry...
Welsh Government backed Project HELIX reaches £491m milestone in support of food and drink industry
Project HELIX is delivered by the three food centres across Wales that make up Food Innovation Wales. The project offers a range of funded support in response to the needs of the sector, including help with process operations, new product development and food safety certification. Since July 2023, Project HELIX has been funded solely by Welsh Governmentand has delivered the following benefits to the Welsh food and drink industry: £119 million financial impact 101 jobs...
WELSH PRODUCERS GROW WITH CYWAIN AT ROYAL WELSH SHOW
There will be an exciting array of new and growing Welsh food and drink businesses in the Food Hall in this year’s Royal Welsh Show ( July 22nd – 25th). The Cywain stand ( number 63) will spotlight fourteen up-and-coming producers during the show, providing them with a platform to test trade their skills and showcase their products to an audience of thousands. The Cywain programme works with food and drink producers across Wales, helping...
Invaluable hands-on experience for budding food and drink engineers at world-leading R & D centre
Food & Drink Skills Wales | Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru, a Welsh Government funded programme has recently collaborated with AMRC Cymru to provide a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience of advanced manufacturing, during a week-long work experience for four budding engineers aged between 16 and 18. Recent research commissioned by the programme found that a skills deficit existed in technical and engineering, with demand for such roles destined to increase in the future...