Author: Rhys Gregory

There’s no doubting that the dining industry is as competitive as it’s ever been in 2019, with every restaurant, café and takeaway looking for that edge to gain and maintain a sustainable customer base. As in any business, much of staying relevant is about staying fresh in your offering, and restaurants will be looking to the latest trends and ideas in the industry to help boost their profit margin. These days, there’s more to getting customers through the door than having the best equipment and tastiest food. Here are the three big trends that every restauranteur should be considering. Sustainable…

Academics from Swansea University will be among the experts sharing their knowledge at a new science festival this weekend (Sat July 20) [aoa id=”1″] The Bitesize Science Fest will take place in Merthyr Tydfil and aims to provide a family-friendly introduction to science. Visitors will be able to enjoy series of talks, a magic show and exhibits as well as trying hands-on activities. [/aoa] Because the free event is being held in conjunction with the town’s annual food festival, organisers are promising it will have a foody twist. Founder and lead organiser, Swansea University’s Dr Claire Price is delighted at…

The spectacular £1.4 million transformation of a housing estate into a “green oasis” has been honoured with a coveted environmental award. [aoa id=”1″] The Tre Cwm estate in Llandudno, managed by housing association Cartrefi Conwy, is only the second in Wales to be awarded a Keep Wales Tidy Green Flag Award. It’s a unique double for Cartrefi Conwy because six years ago the first Welsh housing estate to win the accolade was Parc Peulwys in Llysfaen, above Old Colwyn, which is also theirs. [/aoa]Parc Peulwys has now been awarded Green Flag status – the international mark of a quality…

QuoteOnSite announces cash injection to facilitate aggressive growth over the next 12 months thanks to investment from the Development Bank of Wales and Deri Green. [aoa id=”1″]Swansea-based technology start-up QuoteOnSite has secured £350,000 in an initial seed funding round. Angel co-investor Deri Green has invested £200,000 with a further £150,000 of equity coming from the Development Bank of Wales Technology Seed Fund. Deri Green was introduced to the investment through Angels Invest Wales – Development Bank of Wales’ business angel network.[/aoa] Four staff have been hired following the funding round, with plans to expand the team over the next year.…

The RSPB’s Big Wild Sleepout is a chance to do something different, as a family, and get closer to nature at the same time. [aoa id=”1″] It’s a chance to discover nature after dark by joining the RSPB for an amazing opportunity to sleep on the Ynys-hir nature reserve near Machynlleth on Saturday, July 27. RSPB staff will be on hand to help families discover the wildlife awake when they are normally in bed. It’s a great way to discover camping and have fun-filled night with nature, but there’s a serious message, too. [/aoa] Nature is in trouble: In the…

Famed for their adrenaline-fuelled paragliding virtual reality attraction, Frontgrid Ltd has recently moved from Llanfairfechan to Llandudno Junction in the wake of their global expansion. [aoa id=”1″] Since launching in Summer 2018, founders Matt Wells and David Wood have set their sights on further growth, and will now build their team at Anson House, Narrow Lane. The purpose-built modern office space has been coined as an ‘incubator hub’ for small but fast-paced firms like Frontgrid Ltd, who already have customers in the UAE, Denmark, India, Malaysia and Thailand, with more to follow. [/aoa] Frontgrid Ltd Co-Founder and CEO Matt Wells said: “With a strong…

Cardiff will challenge for promotion, while Swansea may have to settle for mid-table mediocrity in the Championship. This is the view of many leading bookmakers ahead of the new English Football League season which kicks-off the first weekend in August. Despite a hectic campaign which saw the Bluebirds relegated back to the Championship after just a single season in the top flight, Neil Warnock’s men are expected to be among the front-runners for 2019-20, as they attempt to bounce back at the first attempt. And if the bookmakers’ are right, then Leeds and Fulham will occupy the top two spots in the table…

Just this week, Welsh Rugby player Jamie Roberts was seen hanging out with recent SuperBowl line-backer Samson Ebukam. Would the LA Rams athlete consider shifting from being outpaced again by potential NFL MVP 2019, Tom Brady, to trace back the pacey strikers of Championship? Since Swansea are in a dreadful low budget transfer campaign, they might be eager to make an offer! On a more serious note, the Championship campaign gets under way in just a few weeks and Swansea City will be keen to see the back of the transfer window having experienced a summer of interest and enquiries…

A three-day protest which brought Cardiff city centre to a standstill has now ended peacefully. Demonstrators from the Extinction Rebellion group carried out a procession from Castle Street to the lawns of City Hall earlier this afternoon, without the need for police intervention. They are expected to gradually leave that site throughout the evening. South Wales Police has been engaging continually with the group since they based themselves – and a boat – outside Cardiff Castle on Monday morning. Whilst the force respects their right to protest peacefully, it was made clear to the group that any prolonged or significant…

Welsh food and drink business support programme – Cywain – will be celebrating a decade of nurturing talent in the sector by showcasing a raft of new enterprises at the Royal Welsh Show (July 22-25). [aoa id=”1″] For the past ten years Cywain has been guiding and encouraging small food and drink businesses – helping them to grow in confidence and skill. Delivered by a Menter a Busnes, Cywain is a business-led programme dedicated to developing new and existing micro businesses and SMEs in the Welsh food and drink sector focusing on maximising opportunities and growth potential. [/aoa] Over the…