Author: Rhys Gregory

Mario’s Luxury Dairy Ice Cream has been awarded the Great Taste Golden Fork from Wales 2025 for its Blackcurrant and Cassis Sorbet, one of the highest accolades in the world of fine food. The award was announced at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony held recently. Praised for its vibrant fruit profile and velvety texture, the winning sorbet was selected from over 14,000 entries submitted to the Great Taste Awards, the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. Judged by a panel of more than 500 experts, including chefs, buyers, food writers and retailers, the sorbet first…

An organised crime group who hatched an audacious plan to smuggle 600 kilos of cocaine on a yacht participating in a transatlantic sailing race, and imported more than half a tonne of cannabis, have been jailed for a total of more than 111 years. Lee McClenaghan, 57, from Chelmsford, and his close associate, 55-year-old Lea Talbot from Chadwell St Mary, were investigated by the Organised Crime Partnership – a joint National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police Service unit. McClenaghan and Talbot used the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to discuss their offending, under the handles ‘catwithninelives’ and ‘legitimateyak’ respectively. McClenaghan instigated…

A £7 million transformation that’s creating 60 new jobs has just been completed at a care home that came within 48 hours of closure. The Caron Group, which also operates 16 other care homes across South Wales, came to the rescue with a dramatic last-minute intervention when the former Ely Court Care Home in St Fagan’s, near Cardiff, was on the verge of closure. Before they stepped in the home’s future had been under threat  because of fears over the safety of the 32 vulnerable residents under the old regime. Industry champions Care Forum Wales say Caron Group’s actions at…

Schools across Wales could be missing out on thousands of pounds in essential funding as eligible families overlook the School Essentials Grant. At Ysgol Hamadryad in Butetown, Headteacher Mrs Morgan and Deputy Headteacher, Mr Jones are urging parents to check their eligibility this September. Mrs Morgan has experienced firsthand the positive impacts the funding can have not just on families and pupils, but for the wider school community too. Mrs Morgan said: “The School Essentials Grant is vital for our families, especially with the continuing rise of living costs. It offers up to £200 per child to help with key…

A team from Lab 22 have claimed the top spot in the 2025 Scimitar Business Challenge at the Brecon Carreg CDF 10K. The team of 100, named Lab 22 – Hospitality Vs 10K Challenge, completed the challenge with a time of 3:20:21 and in doing so have raised more than £9,000 for charity. They also took home a trophy, iTabs for their finishers medals and a prize from Scimitar. Closely behind them was The Great Defenders (3:24:44) and HWM Global (3:51:37). Tani, from the award-winning Cardiff cocktail bar Lab 22, who recruited the team said: “I am super proud of…

Sephora has confirmed it will open its first store in Wales this autumn, with doors set to open at St David’s Centre in Cardiff on Thursday 23 October 2025. The launch marks Sephora UK’s 11th store and its first location outside of England, making it a major milestone in the retailer’s expansion. Since opening its debut London store in 2023, the global beauty brand has rapidly grown its UK presence, with new stores in Liverpool, Sheffield, Manchester and more. To celebrate the Cardiff opening, Sephora will introduce its new Beauty Bonus Card giveaway, which gives every shopper who makes a…

South Wales Police have confirmed that human remains discovered in the Brecon Beacons last month are those of missing Aberdare man, Jordan Moray. On Friday, 29 August 2025, officers received a report of human remains being found in a remote area near Llwyn On Reservoir. Following enquiries, it has been confirmed that the remains are those of Jordan, who was reported missing in July 2019 from his home in Cwmbach, Aberdare. Police said the Coroner has been updated and Jordan’s death is not being treated as suspicious. His next of kin have been informed and the family has asked for…

Transport for Wales (TfW) and InPost, have joined forces to bring parcel lockers to seven stations across the South Wales network. InPost is a leading provider in logistics solutions for the European e-commerce industry. They provide secure, easy to use parcel lockers that help make online shopping more convenient for consumers. The introduction of these lockers to the Transport for Wales network will allow customers to conveniently send and receive parcels with their daily commute or journey. The lockers give customers the ability to ‘trip-chain’ (combining two trips into one) which can help save time and reduce the need for…

A Bridgend based training partner has recently expanded their business with support from Bridgend County Borough Council’s Economic Development and Enterprise Team. Bowtec UK, based in Pyle, were founded in 2022 to provide high-quality accredited training to businesses and their employees stay safe during work. They are an approved nuclear training provider with multiple accreditations and have partnered with several organisations across the UK, including Hinkley Point C, Europe’s largest construction project. The company were awarded a £4,000 Start-Up Grant to support the purchase of a new training rig, which allowed for the training company to increase their training capability…

A new chapter in Cardiff’s educational landscape begins as Fairoak Primary School officially opens, serving the communities of Cathays, Gabalfa, Heath, Llandaff North, and Plasnewydd. The school brings together pupils, staff, and families from the former Allensbank and Gladstone Primary Schools, offering 420 English-medium places and a nursery. The opening has been met with widespread excitement. Parents and community members have expressed pride in the new school’s vision for a vibrant and inclusive environment. Reflecting on the first day, parent and mum of three, Jen Williams said; “It’s a really emotional but a really wonderful day to see these two…