Author: Rhys Gregory

Wrexham-based Sion Hughes said he was “shocked” after winning the coveted Junior Chef of Wales title at the Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) held at Grwp Llandrillo Menai’s Rhos-on-Sea campus last week (Thursday). [aoa id=”1″] In a captivating final featuring four of the top chefs in Wales aged between 17-23, Hughes, who works at Carden Park, Chester, impressed the judges with his scintillating take on a three-course meal for four people that included a vegan starter, a main course including Welsh lamb, and a dessert with Welsh honey. They had three hours to complete the challenge. The 20-year-old will now…

Police in Barry executed a series of early morning warrants a three addresses in the town (Thursday 28 February). The intelligence led operation resulted in a 51 year old woman being arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class A drug and a 42 year old woman arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a class c drug. Both women are from the Court area of Barry. They are currently being held at Queen’s Road police station, Bridgend. Sergeant Julie Madoc-Smart from Barry police station said: “This operation targeted drug dealers and those supplying drugs…

Multi award winning Welsh house builder, Llanmoor Homes, invited visitors to join them for a day of baking demonstrations with Great British Bake Off favourites; Louise Williams and Val Stones. The duo visited the Afan view home at Llanmoor’s Eglwys Nunydd development in Margam to make a variety of homemade pizzas and delectable desserts. Guests were able to see the beautifully fitted kitchen in action with a glass of prosecco in hand as Louise demonstrated how to make the perfect dough, complete with fresh toppings that guests requested. Guests could then finish off with a sweet treat baked by Val.…

Celebrated Welsh authors and illustrators will bring their stories and characters to life as they inspire and entertain young and avid readers at this year’s springtime Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival. [aoa id=”1″] Running over two weeks in March and April (Saturday 30th March – Sunday 7th April) the Welsh and English Festival will host numerous storytelling sessions, craft workshops, creative writing workshops and games across Cardiff’s iconic venues including Cardiff Castle, City Hall and Cardiff Central Library. There will also be free school events held during the week and free craft sessions on the weekends. Aimed at children between…

Businesses across Wales are getting involved with a Welsh Government campaign to share their reasons for using Welsh. [aoa id=”1″] The campaign, called #100kReasons, is urging business owners to help inspire others to start using Welsh by sparking a conversation about the benefits it can bring to a business. Wales is built on an economy of around 100,000 active small to medium enterprises, each with an opportunity to explore the positive impact using even just a little Welsh can have. To help these SMEs, the Welsh Government launched their Welsh in Business project in 2017 offering free, tailored advice on…

A Carmarthen garage has secured a six-figure funding package to expand its motor vehicle maintenance and repair business. [aoa id=”1″] Owner of Gordon’s Garage Ltd, Gordon Meakins, used a combined loan from NatWest and Lombard Asset Finance to purchase the freehold of the existing business premises on Cillefwr Industrial Estate. The funding has also enabled the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, including new MOT bays and apparatus, allowing Gordon to start offering on-site MOT services to new and existing customers. A trained motor vehicle mechanic with more than 28 years’ experience, Gordon set up his business in 2006 with just a…

Welsh business confidence fell to the lowest level in the UK in February as companies across the nation became more pessimistic about their own prospects, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Overall confidence dropped 11 points in February, to give the lowest reading since the regional Barometer was launched in January last year. This is partly due to companies’ confidence about their own future business activity falling to 11 per cent, down from 22 per cent in January. When combined with their views on the economy, this gave an overall confidence figure on minus two…

BRITAIN’S Got Talent dance sensation Signature will take centre stage at a charity ball organised by a Wrexham businessman to raise funds for children with a rare disease. The world’s number one Michael Jackson dance tribute, who came runners up in the second series of the hit TV talent show and have been complimented by the King of Pop himself, will perform at the eighth annual A-T Spring Ball on Saturday June 8 at Bolesworth Castle in Tattenhall. Tickets are now on sale for the black-tie event organised by Vaughn Rawson, managing director of Wrexham-based Rawson Digital, and his wife…

Educ8 Group has been named as the best small company in Wales to work for on the same night its CEO won the Leader of the Year award. The double gong came at the annual Sunday Times Best Companies To Work For Awards. [aoa id=”1″] Founded in 2004 by Chairman Colin Tucker, the business is headquartered in Ystrad Mynach and has operations across Wales and England, with the ambitious company acquiring Bridgend-based ISA Training as recently as January. Educ8 topped the Welsh contingent in the Best Small Business To Work For category, coming 6th overall across the UK; the fifth…

A WORLD-RENOWNED animal psychologist who trained the Queen’s corgis praised a North Wales pet store for opening a revolutionary play park and cinema complex for dogs. [aoa id=”1″] Roger Mugford is known far and wide for his work in behavioural therapy, which has seen him give talks internationally and win a coveted Blue Cross Welfare Award. In 1979 he founded the Animal Behaviour Centre in Surrey, a referral service which has treated more than 80,000 problem pets over the last 40 years. He has seen it all, or so he thought before visiting PetPlace in Abergele and its purpose-built cinema,…