Author: Rhys Gregory

The foodie favourite that is the Cowbridge Food and Drink Festival is back with a bang again this year with a whole host of tasty treats to tempt festival goers across the end of May Bank Holiday Weekend (Sun 26 – Mon 27 May). As always, there is guaranteed to be something to suit all diets, ages and interests – moreish meats, vegan varieties, curries, cheeses, chutneys; scrumptious ciders, great gins, sweet treats and so much more. Alongside the regular favourites that festival goers love to see, we’re being promised plenty of new and exciting additions for 2024! The Drunken…

AN INNOVATIVE grant scheme is supporting Flintshire businesses on their journey to net zero. The Carbon Reduction Feasibility Fund is delivered by Antur Cymru Enterprise with the backing of Pathway to Carbon Zero Ltd and Litegreen Ltd in collaboration with Flintshire County Council. The Flintshire Fund has received £297,294 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Companies in the region can apply for up to £5,000 to support the creation of carbon reduction plans. The funding can be used by businesses to access specialist advice on how to become a more sustainable organisation, as well as offering…

The headline NatWest Wales PMI® Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – slid from 49.9 in January to 47.5 in February. The latest data signalled a modest contraction in output at Welsh firms, and one that was the strongest since last October. Moreover, Welsh businesses were the joint-worst performers at the UK level, alongside the North East. Anecdotal evidence stated that lower activity was due to subdued customer demand and supply chain issues. Welsh businesses recorded a ninth successive monthly decrease in…

Soft drinks manufacturer Radnor Hills has been shortlisted in this year’s Wales Food and Drink Awards for a Sustainable Values Award. The Knighton-based company, which produces a range of still, sparkling and deliciously flavoured drinks all made with exceptionally pure spring water sourced from its boreholes, puts environmental sustainability at the heart of the company. Six companies have been shortlisted for the Sustainable Values Award and the winner will be announced on May 9th at a ceremony at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. All of Radnor’s products are fully recyclable: their plastic bottles and shrink wraps are 100% recyclable and are also…

The Royal Welsh Agriculture Society’s annual Sustainable Grass and Muck Event will be held at Trawscoed farm at the end of May. The event is part of Ceredigion’s year as the society’s feature county. With 150 acres put aside for demonstration machinery, the event will give grassland farmers the chance to see the latest silage-making machinery in action. It will also feature demonstrations of efficient and effective spreading of slurry and farmyard manure. The significance of the event in the agricultural calendar is a sign of the importance Welsh farmers place on producing and harvesting sustainable, high quality and home-grown…

Osprey Charging, the UK’s leading and fastest-growing EV rapid-charging network, has boosted access to public charging in Glamorgan with four high-powered EV chargers installed at the Beaufort Arms in Gower, supporting local residents, businesses and visitors with reliable EV infrastructure. The 60kW rapid charge points are compatible with every EV on the market today and can typically add 100 miles of range in just 35 minutes, depending on the model of the vehicle and its battery. Situated at the Beaufort Arms, the chargers are an ideal place to charge an EV whilst enjoying a spot of shopping, or bite to…

Millions of pounds of extra spending on education and social care as well as funding for vital community services like the pioneering free bus initiative and cleansing are planned for the coming year in Swansea. Schools will get an extra £12m and social services an extra £14m as part of an overall extra £30m being injected into Swansea Council services this year. An extra £400,000 has been set aside for this year’s free buses initiative that has seen more than 700,000 free rides enjoyed by local residents over the last three years. Rob Stewart, leader of the council, said: “In…

A 42-year-old woman has been sentenced for her role in the supply of drugs in Bridgend. On Sunday, November 26, 2023 officers attached to our Organised Crime Unit (ICU) executed a Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act warrant at an address on Heol Loveluck, Bridgend. Whilst officers were inside Karen Louise Amos attempted to discard bags of Class A drugs by ripping them open and throwing the contents around the living room. A number of items were recovered and seized by officers which were consistent with possession with intent to supply (PWITS) offences. Karen Amos was sentenced on…

Cardiff Council has agreed tough new measures to help bring long-term empty houses in the city back into use. At a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet last night, councillors agreed recommendations to raise the council tax premium on some empty properties to as much as 300%. In 2019 the Council introduced a 50% Council Tax premium for homes left unoccupied and unfurnished for a year, and last March increased this to 100%. The change to policy will see the premium increase incrementally the longer the house has been left, meaning homes that have lain empty for two years face a…

Swansea’s coastal park has been officially named the Amy Dillwyn Park in memory of one of the city’s most accomplished novelists and businesswomen. It was done to coincide with International Women’s Day – a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. On Wednesday councillors formally approved the naming of the park next to Swansea Arena in honour of the accomplished Victorian novelist, businesswomen and philanthropist. Born in Sketty in 1845 to the prominent Dillwyn family, she wrote six novels on themes including feminism and social reform and following her father’s death she personally managed the…