Anna Lloyd, founder of fermented foods brand Bwblin, has been named one of 14 entrepreneurs selected as the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans Ambassadors for 2025.
Based in Anglesey, Bwblin is a vegan, organic and carbon-neutral fermented food brand specialising in small-batch sauerkraut, kimchi and miso – all handmade using locally sourced ingredients and seasonal British produce.
As demand for Bwblin’s products quickly outgrew Anna’s kitchen, she applied for a £5,000 Start Up Loan with support from The King’s Trust, one of the Start Up Loans programme’s Business Support Partners. The funding enabled her to invest in professional equipment, including a rotary mixer and vegetable preparation machines, and to move into a dedicated production space – a former dairy on the edge of Newborough Forest.
Prior to founding Bwblin, Anna’s career took her around the world as a sailing instructor before she returned to Wales to work in local government and with Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity. Alongside her day job, she taught herself the art of fermentation, developing more than 90 recipes, and eventually decided to turn her passion into a business.
Since securing finance to scale up production, Bwblin has gone from strength to strength. Its products are now sold via its own website, TikTok Shop and Amazon, as well as in person at food markets and festivals. Anna is also exploring retail and hospitality opportunities, with growing interest from delis, independent stores and restaurants.
Now in its tenth year, the Start Up Loans Ambassadors initiative shines a spotlight on remarkable UK entrepreneurs who have turned their business ideas into reality with support from the government-backed Start Up Loans programme. Each Ambassador has been chosen for showcasing the determination, innovation and resilience needed to grow a small business, while inspiring others to pursue their own entrepreneurial journeys.
Anna Lloyd, founder of Bwblin, said: “Getting the Start Up Loan gave me the tools to take Bwblin seriously as a business. Before, I was working late into the night trying to keep up with demand from my home kitchen. Now I have the right equipment and a proper production space, which means I can grow sustainably and focus on creating the best possible products.
“I’m incredibly proud to be chosen as a Start Up Loans Ambassador for Wales. There’s such amazing produce grown here, and I want Bwblin to showcase how exciting and sustainable local food can be – and hopefully inspire others to follow their own business ideas.”
In addition to 12 Ambassadors from each of the UK’s nations and regions, two additional Ambassadors have been selected from specialist groups supported by the programme who may face challenges in accessing funding elsewhere. One is from the armed forces veterans community and the other from the 18-24 Gen Z age group.
Previous Welsh Start Up Loans Ambassadors have gone on to achieve impressive growth, including Leon Stapleton of We Make Footballers Cardiff, a training academy for children aged 4-12, and Ken Pearce and Yousef Ahmed of 3D printing firm Lunia 3D. This year, Lunia 3D is marking its fifth anniversary with a major investment in a cutting-edge Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) printer, boosting capacity and positioning the company for its next phase of expansion.
The 2025 Start Up Loans Ambassadors will be introduced at a dedicated event in central London that marks the start of a year-long programme which will see them take part in a series of local and national engagements, helping inspire and encourage aspiring start-up founders to take the leap into business ownership.
Jessica Phillips-Harris, Senior Manager for Wales, UK Network at the British Business Bank, said: “We are incredibly proud to mark ten years of Start Up Loans Ambassadors, which continues to highlight the achievements of extraordinary UK entrepreneurs who have brought their business ideas to life with the help of the government-backed Start Up Loans programme. Over the past decade, our Ambassadors have embodied the resilience, creativity and determination it takes to succeed in business, while inspiring countless others to follow in their footsteps.
“I have no doubt that Anna Lloyd will inspire other aspiring business owners to bring their start-up plans to life. Anna’s journey is really inspiring because she has taken the plunge into business following a varied career path to date, which is common among people who use a Start Up Loan to get their business started.”
