A Cardiff-based pie company has successfully brought manufacturing in-house and increased its production capacity tenfold, following technical support from the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme.
In just eighteen months of trading, Donald’s Pies has rapidly expanded into a dedicated manufacturing space and opened two permanent retail outlets, supported by technical assistance from Food Centre Wales and ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre.
Donald’s Pies, founded by friends Gareth Owens and Harri Rees in 2024, was inspired by Gareth’s travels in New Zealand, where pie culture is well established, and by his late grandfather Donald, a passionate pie lover. The business initially launched as a pop-up from a van at Radyr Cricket Club in Cardiff before opening its first permanent pie shop in October 2024.
In January 2025, Donald’s Pies approached Food Centre Wales, part of Ceredigion County Council, when the company decided to bring pie production in-house rather than continuing to outsource manufacturing.
Delivered by four food centres across Wales, the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme provides funded technical and innovation support to food and drink producers.
Through the HELIX Programme, technologists at Food Centre Wales supported Donald’s Pies with recipe development to ensure their pies could be consistently and safely produced at a larger scale. Support also included the development of a HACCP food safety management plan, microbiological testing, and nutritional and labelling guidance to ensure compliance with legislation. In addition, the company was supported with production trials before starting to rent Food Centre Wales’s commercial manufacturing facilities for in-house production.
As the company’s pies and coffee quickly developed a cult following in Cardiff, the business took the next step by seeking a larger, dedicated manufacturing site in the city. As part of this process, Donald’s Pies was referred to ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University for further support in November 2025. ZERO2FIVE assisted with the layout and design of the new manufacturing unit to ensure food safety and optimise production processes. They also reviewed the company’s HACCP plan to ensure it was suitable for the new facility.
Donald’s Pies’ new Cardiff manufacturing space is now fully operational, and it will enable the business to scale production from 25,000 pies per year to 250,000. This will create the capacity needed to serve existing customers at their recently opened second shop in Cardiff as well to secure new wholesale partners, including pubs, sports clubs and tourist attractions across Wales and beyond.
Gareth Owens, Owner of Donald’s Pies, said:
“The support we’ve had from the HELIX Programme has been outstanding. From bringing our pie production in-house to moving into our own larger manufacturing unit in Cardiff, the support from Food Centre Wales and ZERO2FIVE has allowed us to grow quickly and smoothly.”
Angela Sawyer, Agri-Food Centre Manager at Food Centre Wales, said:
“The technical expertise available through the HELIX Programme has been key in helping Donald’s Pies move from small-scale production to full-scale manufacture. The combination of support with product innovation, operational efficiency and robust food safety management systems has helped the company to establish a strong and sustainable foundation for continued growth.”
Professor Peter Sykes, Head of ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, said:
“From start-ups to large established companies, the HELIX Programme provides a wide range of technical support to help build more innovative, resilient and successful Welsh food and drink businesses. With food centres across Wales, support is on hand wherever your company is based.”
