A Torfaen gourmet pickle start-up company is up and running in time for the busy Christmas season thanks to the support of a Welsh Government funded programme.
Picklebits, which is the creation of Will York, is trading at Christmas markets across south Wales this winter following technical support from the HELIX Programme.
After backpacking across the world, Will started Packed, a street food business selling Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, in 2024. Having competed in the finals of the Welsh Street Foods Awards and received glowing customer feedback for the pickles he used in his sandwiches, Will decided to launch a new standalone brand.
Will reached out to ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University for funded technical support through the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme to help turn his ideas into reality.
Firstly, Will attended one of ZERO2FIVE’s regular start-up sessions and a series of new product development workshops on key topics including writing a product brief, sensory evaluation and developing a safe product. A market analysis project then helped Picklebits to determine key product features, including whether their pickles should be chilled or ambient and how to position them in relation to their competitors.
ZERO2FIVE then supported the company to develop a bespoke HACCP food safety management plan for the manufacture of their pickles. Will attended two half day HACCP workshops and received one-to-one mentoring support that covered legal labelling and the interpretation of microbiological testing results.
As a result of the support, Picklebits secured a food hygiene rating of five from Environmental Health and the company successfully launched a range of three organic pickles, which includes chopped gherkins and balsamic beetroot. Picklebits will be available to purchase at St Donat’s Christmas Fayre and Cardiff Christmas Market this December as well as directly from the company’s website.
Will York, Owner of Picklebits, said:
“Making a retail product like pickles is very different to my previous street food business, but ZERO2FIVE have guided me through it with lots of support. All their training courses were packed full of great information and the one-to-one mentoring really helped me to get to grips with the necessary food safety considerations. I would encourage any Welsh start-up to get in touch with them and find out more about the funded support available.”
Professor Peter Sykes, Head of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, said:
“From small start-ups to large established companies, the HELIX Programme provides a range of technical support that can help build more innovative, resilient and successful food businesses. It’s great to see how the support we’ve provided has helped a new Welsh business take its first steps toward success.”
