Author: Rhys Gregory

As St David’s Day, a celebration of Wales’ patron saint approaches, some of its finest food and drink producers are set to take over Lamb Street, Spitalfields Market, London this weekend (2-3 March 2024) for a weekend celebration of Welsh food and drink. Visitors and passers-by are in for a real treat and will have the opportunity to sample a wide array of Welsh culinary specialities, from traditional Welsh cakes to award winning charcuterie, reflecting the diverse landscape, culture, and heritage of Wales. A key highlight of the event is the pop-up kitchen, featuring renowned Welsh food and drink specialist…

Following a successful debut event last year, the ‘Vale Food Trail’ will return later this year, running from 26th May – 4th June 2024. The two-week, multi-location food festival offers ‘an exploration and celebration of food, farming & sustainability in the Vale of Glamorgan.’ Festival organisers are now inviting applications from businesses, producers and organisations who might like to host an event as part of the festival; participation is completely free, and those who take part will benefit from increased visibility through the festival marketing, and a chance to reach new customers from within the Vale and beyond. Last year,…

A retired engineer from Flintshire and his two brothers are getting used to being asked for selfies after becoming reality TV stars. Huw Williams, 63, travels every week from his home in Mynydd Isa to his home village of Brynaman, in Carmarthenshire, to take part in Gogglebocs Cymru with brothers Stephen, 58, and Mike, 65. The trio are regular cast members of the popular Welsh language version of Gogglebox –  where  ordinary people voice their opinions about a range of television programmes – that’s broadcast on S4C on Wednesdays at 9pm. Huw said: “We’re a close family despite living so…

Wales (Caerphilly) and Ireland (Dublin) based technology business, Nightingale HQ (NHQ) has supported a major UK & EU consortium as it looks to make reinforcement steel manufacturing greener. The collaboration includes steel manufacturers Midland Steel and Bastal AS, Kuka Robotics, civil engineers OCSC and research partners VTT. The project is funded by EIT Manufacturing and Innovate UK. The objective of the work is to reduce carbon emissions in steel manufacturing through standardisation, modular prefabrication with advanced Building Information Modelling (BIM) and optimisation solutions. NHQ’s role is to optimise the planning production process to drive a reduction in rebar waste and…

A fast-growing North Wales food wholesaler is forecasting record sales approaching £1 million when it stages its biggest ever annual two-day trade fair. Harlech Foodservice’s Expo 24 at Llandudno’s Venue Cymru will see over 120 exhibitor stands and expects crowds of over 2,000 at the event on Wednesday and Thursday, March 6 and 7. The Expo is a highlight of the year for Harlech which will showcase the range of products it supplies to restaurants, cafes and even Premiership giants as well as to schools and hospitals, museums and art galleries. The aim is to enable suppliers to talk directly…

As the tax year draws to a close, couples who are married or in civil partnerships could be due a financial boost by sharing unused tax allowances. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed March is the most popular month for Marriage Allowance applications, with almost 70,000 couples applying in March last year. And with the option to backdate their claim for the previous four tax years, eligible couples could receive a lump-sum payment worth more than £1,000, in addition to reducing their tax bill for the 2023 to 2024 tax year by up to £252. People can find out…

Sian Roberts, founder of food tours provider Loving Welsh Food, has added a new Cardiff tour to her food tour menu. The Cardiff Tasting Tour is a leisurely tasting tour taking in some of the city’s finest Welsh delicacies. Unlike the longer food tours offered by Loving Welsh Food, this tour is designed to fit into a morning, giving you time to include other activities in your day. Treats include traditional Welshcakes from Fabulous Welshcakes, whisky tastings at Wally’s Delicatessen, Clark’s pies at the Market Deli and much more – including a sampling of Welsh cheeses at Ty Caws, whose…

RSPCA Cymru has launched an appeal for information after two rats were found abandoned in a pet carrier in Newport. The two black and white domestic rats – thought to be male – were found on 16 February in a pet carrier with a blanket over the top. They were discovered under a bridge near a tunnel in the Ringland area. A passer-by who found the rats kindly took them home for safety until the RSPCA were able to collect them. They were then taken to RSPCA Merthyr Tydfil Veterinary Clinic for a health check. RSPCA Inspector Simon Evans said:…

Bangor University’s work in public health has been recognised with the presentation of a Queen’s Anniversary Prize medal and certificate at Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education are part of the UK’s Honours system and are awarded every two years by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous, independent review process managed by The Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity. This is the fifteenth round of the scheme and there were over 100 entries, of which 22 institutions were awarded a Prize. Bangor University was recognised for its novel system…

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) are delighted to announce the appointment of Rhian Wilkinson as the Cymru Women’s National Team Head Coach until 2027.   Wilkinson has been a coach since retiring from playing in 2017, most recently at Portland Thorns where her side won the NWSL Championship in 2022. Prior to joining the Thorns, Wilkinson was the Head Coach for the Canada U17 and U20 youth programs and was an Assistant Coach for England, Team GB at the 2021 Olympic Games, and for Canada at the 2019 FIFA World Cup. As a player, Wilkinson represented Canada 183 times, playing in four World Cups…