Author: Rhys Gregory

A proud Welshman will be one of the judges running the rule over the world’s best chefs at the IKA/Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart from February 14-19. Colin Gray, managing director of Capital Cuisine, Caerphilly and vice president of the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), will join the panel of Worldchefs judges at the world’s largest and oldest international culinary art exhibition. He previously competed three times as a pastry chef for Culinary Team Wales at the Culinary Olympics, where around 2,000 chefs and pastry chefs from more than 60 nations will be competing. Senior and junior chefs will represent Culinary…

Specialist corporate finance advisory firm Verde Corporate Finance has announced another successful year in 2019 following revenue growth of more than 50% and transaction values in excess of £50m in the period. The team at Verde worked successfully on several of the regions highest profile transactions including the management buy-out of leading creative agency S3 Advertising , the acquisition of Morris Minor restoration business Charles Ware and numerous funding projects. The Verde Corporate Finance team has grown into a team of nine as at the close of 2019.  The team consists of qualified accountants with Big 4 backgrounds and credentials,…

BookingLive has this week launched its new company headquarters at The Maltings in Cardiff’s dynamic tech hub, after securing £1.31 million in new investment from Blackfinch Ventures and the Development Bank of Wales. The funding will help BookingLive with its plans to more than double revenues during 2020 – and a recruitment drive is now underway to hire at least seven new employees for the new office. Founded by Ammanford native CEO Vinnie Morgan in 2014, BookingLive provides online booking and reservation software to over 700 private and public sector customers. Its Enterprise system clients include Microsoft, BMW, Universal Music…

Businesses, campaigners, employers and anyone interested in Swansea’s future are being urged to attend the Swansea City Centre Conference & Exhibition, which takes place in the Waterfront Museum in Swansea on March 31. The conference, now in its second year, is an opportunity for city centre retailers, regional businesses, community projects and not-for-profit organisations to raise their profile and make connections. Exhibitors and attendees will be able to find out about the exciting projects currently underway in the city, hear from thought leaders and decision makers, and help shape the vision for a vibrant and successful city. The conference will…

A collaboration between Welsh independent breweries, wholesalers and distributors will see the first official Welsh Beer Week launch in pubs across the country on 8 March 2020. The rise of the Welsh brewing industry can be seen throughout the nation, with a number of craft breweries joining established producers across the country. Increased customer demand for new products that reflect Wales’ culture and heritage has seen brewers respond with an expansive variety of ales and craft beers. This March, as the Six Nations Rugby Championship drives the nation to pubs and gather around living room TVs, Wales’ brewers are joining…

The UK’s fastest growing motoring association, MotorEasy, has completed the acquisition of Motokiki. The only independent tyre comparison website is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding portfolio of MotorEasy products, offering drivers a modern solution that reduces the risk and stress often associated with motoring. “The tyre industry has been slow to adapt to ‘buy today, deliver tomorrow’ consumer expectations, instead relying on more traditional marketing methods,” says Duncan McClure Fisher, MotorEasy founder and CEO. “This out-dated approach is partly due to tyre purchasing’s many variables and jargon, including sizing and performance characteristics. Motokiki pulls data from a number…

New analysis released today by Diabetes UK Cymru shows that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in Wales has increased from 194,693 to 198,883 since last year. This is a prevalence of 7.6%, the highest in the UK. The UK average prevalence is 6.9%. In addition, there could be as many as 61,501 more people living with type 2 diabetes, who don’t know they have it because they haven’t been diagnosed yet, bringing the total number to over 260,000 (adults) Data from Public Health Wales suggests that more than 60% of adults in Wales are now overweight or obese.…

An elderly and thin dog has been found dead in Tycroes, Ammanford with significant injuries.  RSPCA Cymru has launched an appeal for information following the sad discovery. The  liver and white springer spaniel had been found near a stream near Quad Challenge, Tycroes, Ammanford and was first seen on 2 February. RSPCA deputy chief inspector Neill Manley, who took the dog’s body to a vet for an examination, said: “An X-ray on his skull showed he had suffered a non-accidental injury – with the probable cause of death being a blow to the head. “He also had matted fur around…

News that one of Britain’s largest supermarkets, Aldi, has committed to stocking a brand new range of PGI Welsh Beef products across over 50 stores, has been hailed as a much needed boost for the industry. Speaking after the official announcement was made in Cardiff (Monday, 10 February)  Farmers’ Union of Wales Deputy President Ian Rickman said: “This is a most welcome step in the right direction. Given the uncertainty our farmers face over future trade deals, supporting local suppliers is key to ensuring we have thriving, sustainable family farms here in Wales. “Farmers in Wales produce excellent, sustainable, quality…

Cardiff and Vale College and Glamorgan CC’s Education and Cricket Academy has won the Welsh Colleges Crickets 24 competition despite having never taken part in the contest before. The Academy hosted the competition at Glamorgan Cricket’s Sophia Gardens base. Two teams were entered – BTEC Sport Level 3 Year 1 and BTEC Sport Level 3 Year 2. The tournament was played in a round robin format with the league winners taking the prize. The Cricket Academy teams finished in the top places with the Year 2 team winning the final match and will now go on to the Association of…