Author: Rhys Gregory

Welsh producers have enjoyed success at the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards ceremony, hosted at the International Convention Centre in Newport last week. The winners included North Wales-based cheese and yogurt producer, Cosyn Cymru, who took the top prize of the evening, winning the UK’s ‘Best Food Producer’ award. The other Welsh winners were Cardiff’s Maasi’s café, which was named the UK’s ‘Best Streetfood, Takeaway or Small Eatery’. Meanwhile, the Vale of Glamorgan’s Peterston Tea beat stiff competition from fellow Welsh producers, Pembrokeshire Lamb and Velfrey Vineyard, to win the ‘Best Food and Drink Producer in Wales Award with…

Over four decades ago, rural West Wales was at the centre of the greatest drugs bust in history. The police investigation, Operation Julie, resulted in dozens of arrests and the discovery of LSD worth £100 million. Next Spring, the hit musical play from Theatr na nÓg and Aberystwyth Arts Centre returns to explore the story from both sides of the drugs divide – the police, and the hippies who settled in Ceredigion hoping to spread their ideals in a changing world. The co-producers are thrilled to announce that the original cast and creatives return for a limited 6-week tour visiting…

Entries to the 2024 Principality Cardiff Half Marathon are filling up faster than ever before with high demand from overseas competitors. More than 10,500 entries for the race, on Sunday 6 October 2024, have already been snapped up by runners after just over a week of going on sale. The Early Bird Entry offer sold out within three hours of launching and event organisers, Run 4 Wales, anticipate this will be the earliest ever sellout in the race’s history. Matt Newman, Chief Executive of Run 4 Wales, said: “We’re so excited for next year’s event and we can already see…

Chart-topping boyband JLS will bring their Summer Hits tour to Cardiff Castle next year. The double BRIT Award winners – who are currently wowing audiences across the UK with their ‘Everybody Say JLS’ arena tour – will head to the iconic Welsh venue on Sunday July 7. JLS – Aston Merrygold, JB Gill, Marvin Humes and Oritsé Williams – have sold more than six million records; two million live tickets; are the first X Factor act to win a prestigious BRIT Award (2010), five MOBO Awards, four Digital Music Awards and three Urban Music Awards. Their first four albums all…

New operations manager David Branter is excited to rejoin Beacon Foods, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of ingredients and ready-to-eat products, to contribute to the company’s major expansion. He says the Brecon-based business, which supplies food manufacturers, food service, coffee shops, fast food chains and travel and hospitality industries, is now perfectly placed to secure new business opportunities. Investment totalling £6 million in the last three years has seen Beacon Foods double the size of its manufacturing and storage facilities to 53,000 square feet in preparation for business growth. The company, which has 130 employees, has greatly increased production…

The Wellbeing Centre in Lampeter, the first of its kind in the county, was officially opened this week by Lynne Neagle, MS, Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing. Funded by a Welsh Government Communities for Learning Grant and Ceredigion County Council, the centre commits to transform the county’s approach to holistic wellbeing. Promising an extensive spectrum of services tailored to improve the physical, mental, and social aspects of individuals, the centre also aims to facilitate increased access to vital information, advice, and support on Council services for its residents. This comprehensive framework aligns with the Council’s objective of Creating Caring…

School breakfast clubs in Wales could get their hands on a £1,000 cash windfall to help support their vital work. Kellogg’s is offering schools across the UK grants to invest in any aspect of their breakfast clubs – including equipment, food and learning materials. This comes as 27 per cent of parents from Wales admit their children don’t always have breakfast. The study also found 95 per cent of those in Wales who’ve struggled to keep their household fed have yet to rely on the help of others or utilise any schemes like breakfast clubs. Of those who have sent…

A Magor-based transport company has begun its journey to net zero with a £55,000 green loan from the Development Bank of Wales. Established by Director James Hill in 2006, Jaga Brothers Transport employs 44 people and operates 45 trucks and 130 trailers from its base at Gwent Euro Park. Clients include Celsa Steel UK. With a commitment to reducing carbon footprint, the company has invested in 68 solar panels that will save 5.14t of CO2 emissions and reduce annual energy costs by £25,000. The 28kW system has been installed by Tewdric Energy. Director James Hill said: “This investment in solar…

A brand-new visitor attraction in North Cardiff is celebrating a successful opening season, welcoming over 100,000 visitors in its first nine weeks. Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs opened to the public in July 2023 as a hub for health and wellbeing and a haven for wildlife and offers a range of water and land activities and a café with stunning views – making it a great place to visit at any time of the year. Built in the late-19th century, Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs are a Victorian landmark – covering 110 acres of green and blue space and home to amazing…

Cardiff Council can proudly announce the city has been officially declared a UNICEF Child Friendly City -the first of its kind in the UK. The prestigious and internationally-acknowledged status has been awarded to Cardiff in recognition of the steps the council and its partners have taken over the past five years to advance the human rights of children and young people across the city. Cardiff Council and its partners joined the UK Committee for UNICEF’s (UNICEF UK) Child Friendly Cities & Communities programme in 2017 as part of a pioneering cohort. Since then, it has been implementing strategies to embed…