Getting products listed with a distributor is the dream of many food and drink businesses. With help from Cywain, a group of Welsh producers have been put through their pitching paces.
The culmination of Cywain’s ‘Meet the Buyer’ pitching tutorials was the opportunity to have a one-to-one appointment with Deiniol ap Dafydd, founder and managing director of wholesale distributor Blas ar Fwyd.
For 21 new producers, this led to their products being listed by Llanrwst-based Blas ar Fwyd, which provides over 170 food and drink producer brands from Wales on its platform.
Cywain clients met with Blas ar Fwyd, around half of whom pitched to be listed and the others who are not yet ready to use a distributor, used the opportunity as an advisory appointment to learn more about the process and benefit from expert feedback on their products.
Those pitching to Blas ar Fwyd were offered the opportunity to have a one-to-one mentoring session beforehand. This helped them to get an idea of what to expect from the appointment, advice on the key points they should share within their pitch and to discuss their pricing structures.
Cywain’s Innovation and New Markets Team Leader, Nia Ball, said, “While a producer has the skill to make a fantastic product, those who participated in these sessions are relatively new to running a business and so they don’t necessarily have the experience or confidence to make a pitch. Or maybe, they are not yet in a position to take that step forward. We help them prepare to pitch and guide them through the process.
“Through its Routes to Market webinars, Cywain has helped producers learn more about the opportunities and requirements of working with distributors and wholesalers. We are very grateful to Blas ar Fwyd and Deiniol ap Dafydd for giving our clients the rare opportunity to pitch their products directly to the head of the company. We are delighted that so many have been successful.”
Deiniol ap Dafydd said, “It’s fantastic to see so many new food and drink producers creating new products in Wales. The guidance that the producers receive from Cywain really improves the process of joining our platform at Blas ar Fwyd and makes their products more visible, available and viable.”
Among the Cywain clients who have been included in Blas ar Fwyd’s 2021 catalogue are: Derw Coffee – Anglesey Cold Brew, Do Goodly Dips, and Hafod Brewing Company.
DERW COFFEE – ANGLESEY COLD BREW
Only launched last summer, Wales’ first cold brew coffee producer, Derw Coffee, has been listed by Blas ar Fwyd.
The brewing process uses cold water and takes around 16 hours. The result is a smooth espresso-strength coffee, which can be enjoyed as a drink or used in cakes and desserts. Derw also makes ready to drink spiced coffee using traditional Indonesian spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and cocoa, which have additional digestive properties.
Looking to establish their coffee business on Anglesey, owners Chris and Intan Bristow were directed to Cywain and have since benefitted from a range of advice.
Chris said, “Cywain have been so supportive; they’ve put us in touch with experts, and we’ve done a variety of workshops and one-to-one sessions. From the TUCK IN masterclasses and help with branding to digital marketing and finance.
“The Scale-Up Challenge has been another good opportunity to learn and meet other co-entrepreneurs. Also, the Meet the Buyer sessions allowed us to pitch to Blas ar Fwyd, and Cywain’s input really helped make it a success.”
