Welsh Country makes no apologies for always saying ‘Buy Local’ but that isn’t always that easy to do. Here we look at a totally unique event, BlasCymru/TasteWales, which has the objective of promoting and selling Wales as a food and drink destination by:
- Inviting the buyers from all the supermarkets to meet Welsh producers.
- Inviting those retail buyers that have specialist food and drink departments such as Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason to meet Welsh producers.
- Inviting the distributors of food and drink nationwide to meet Welsh producers so that their products can be listed in their catalogues. Three examples that we would recognise here in Wales are Castell Howell, Blas ar Fwyd, Harlech but must also include Ocado and the many regional and specialist companies.
To give you a few examples, this event means:
- That your Pembrokeshire Potatoes get onto your local supermarket shelf.
- That your favourite Welsh tea is stocked in your corner shop.
- That the exquisite Welsh Gin that you gifted to your best friend is available to buy from your local drinks store.
BlasCymru/TasteWales was held over the 27th & 28th October, at the International Convention Centre (ICCW), in Newport. This two-day event is sponsored by one of the largest names in the UK food and drink industry, Princes Limited. We must emphasise though that the purpose of this event is to create a platform for producers from across Wales to meet with trade buyers from retail, foodservice and UK export consolidators, as well as food industry professionals allowing businesses to showcase Wales’ world-class produce and help open new markets.
With Covid restrictions firmly in place, this event was certainly one of the first in the Welsh industry calendar to safely welcome back attendees and the ICCW was an ideal roomy venue.
Despite this being an incredibly challenging year, thanks to Covid, Welsh producers have still been able to develop a number of new products which were showcased here. New product development is all the proof we need to understand the resilience and innovation that exists within the Welsh food and drink sector.
Let us give you a taste of some of the new products. They include seasonal craft ales, a range of flavoured oat crackers, new yoghurt flavours, carbon-neutral potatoes, plant based desserts, alcohol free botanic drinks, organic fermented smoked kraut and Beet Slaw packaged in sustainable, fully recycled packaging.
There was a small, but important competition between the producers as to the most popular of the new products. This was voted for by the buyers at the event and the winner was Welsh Kimchi from Monmouthshire business Jones Trust Your Gut.
Read the full story on the Welsh Food and Drink website: New Welsh Kimchi Takes Top Award At Blas Cymru/Taste Wales
Regular readers will be well aware that we at Welsh Country are real foodies and when we look at Wales, we picture this country as a humungous food larder with a massive array of tempting Welsh food and drink. So saying that we were obviously delighted to be invited to attend BlasCymru/Taste Wales and we must say how impressive this event is as it strives to do everything possible to showcase Welsh food and drink. Over the years we have been to hundreds of food events, but what was heartening at BlasCymru/TasteWales, was that we didn’t speak to a single producer who was unhappy with this event! Of course there were some suggestions for the future, but they were constructive and we think can quite easily be acted upon.
Huge thanks must be directed to Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Government’s food division which organised the event. Food Innovation Wales also played an important role in supporting the various businesses to develop their products, including bringing companies together to share and work through new ideas. There has also been masses of support offered to start-ups through Cywain, along with training and skills development thanks to Lantra’s Food Skills Cymru.
The event was effectively split into three.
The first is The Zones Area
An area with all the organisations that support – help – promote Welsh food and drink.
Amongst those in this area were:
Lantra
Lantra is a training organisation from entry level training to expert user qualifications. With their specific programme, Food Skills Cymru, they work within the Welsh food and drink processing and manufacturing industry to ensure employees have the right skills and training for their business and the wider industry as a whole.
Sarah Lewis Food Skills Cymru Programme Manager told Welsh Country:
“We are at BlasCymru/TasteWales to engage with existing producers already working with us and new producers, offering support and complete training courses to suit their needs. After the restrictions of the pandemic it was good to meet face to face, albeit with face masks, with those that maybe we have only spoken to by email or Zoom.”
Menter Mon
Menter Mon is of course based on the Isle of Anglesey and has a number of projects under way, one of which is Larder Cymru.
This project, in part, aims to get local food into the public sector which has been a long term grumble at Welsh Country.
Larder Cymru is a local food and drink hub bringing regional producers and processors together so that both of them are in a better position to respond to the opportunities to supply into the Welsh public sector.
The focus is on co-ordinating and strengthening support within the local supply chain to position regionally produced food and drink, making it a compelling proposal for large supply contracts.
The project will aim to open opportunities for food and drink SME’s, to supply into the public sector. It will also be able to respond to the short and medium term issues for the food and drink sector and help businesses in the region to survive and recover from the pandemic.
National Geographic Dome
National Geographic has been a great partner of Welsh Food and Drink for some time getting the essence of the wonderful food and drink from Wales spread across the world.
In 2019 Food and Drink Wales exhibited at the National Geographic Traveller Food Festival.
We told a fuller story here: National Geographic Traveller Food Festival Heralded a Success
Recently National Geographic teamed up again with Food and Drink Wales to produce a booklet.
We told a fuller story here: National Geographic Traveller (UK) Teams Up with Food & Drink Wales
But at BlasCymru/TasteWales, National Geographic had on show its Geo Dome.
The Geo dome is a huge black canvas dome that was first seen at the Rugby World Cup in Japan where it was promoting Wales and Welsh food and drink. The dome itself from the outside is not that impressive, but on the inside the lighting and atmosphere gives a feeling of decadence and opulence. Over the two days event invited guests were treated to a wonderful tasting menu of the very best of Welsh Food and Drink comprising of:
- Pan fried scallop, beetroot & Welsh gin, laverbread blini, cockle cucumber yoghurt.
- Pan seared scallop infused with beetroot, Welsh gin and chopped dill, on a laverbread blini pancake finished with a citrus cockle, cucumber natural yoghurt dressing.
……………………
- Garlic glazed Rump of Welsh Lamb, butternut salsa, Welsh sea salted leeks, parsley jus.
- Garlic marinated rump of Welsh Lamb slow cooked rested and carved with a butternut squash chilli salsa relish, garnished with crispy Welsh sea salt leek strips & a parsley natural lamb sauce.
……………………
- Chocolate & Welsh whisky tart, Honey nutmeg cream, ginger rhubarb.
- Rich dark chocolate and Welsh whisky tart with a nutmeg, honey cream finished with gently poached ginger scented rhubarb compote.
The second is the Conference and Seminars Area.
With seminars such as Why now is the time to invest in technology and Innovation in branding given by leading experts in their field. Those in the industry had ample opportunity to get up to speed about food and drink production and its marketing for the challenges of today.
The conference programme was headlined by Adam Henson: Countryfile presenter and farmer speaking about How Wales is addressing the sustainability challenge.
A common theme touching on the issues of today is typified by a presentation from, Ian Wright: CEO, Food and Drink Federation on the subject, Running on Empty? – As the UK navigates the shortages storm, how can Wales food and drink thrive?
The conference and seminar facilities were superb, allowing delegates to listen and interact easily and hopefully learn a great deal with much food for thought.
The third is the Meet The Buyer Area
Bethan Jones, is the Project manager at Total Food Marketing which is part of Menter a Busnes, the semi-public administrative body, charged with looking after this area. Bethan explained to Welsh Country how the Meet The Buyer area worked:
“For buyers this is a unique event and brilliant use of their time. Being a brokerage event, it is directed to producers looking after their needs to meet, see and work with buyers that are suitable for their business.”
In terms of numbers:-
There were 200 buyers in attendance over the two days.
There were 1100, 20 minute meetings booked.
There were 80 established food and drink businesses.
There were 20 businesses classed as ‘Rising Stars’ that had successfully come through the Cwyain training scheme (a programme of Menter a Busnes).
Daffodil Foods
Director Lynne Rowlands commented:
“We have a range of plant based chocolate truffle desserts, which taste fantastically rich and indulgent with a melt-in-the mouth silky texture. Made to a vegan recipe in Wales to reduce food miles. Potted Plants desserts are naturally better for you and better for the environment. Their specialised heat treatment extends the shelf life to reduce the risk of contributing to food waste. The desserts are packed in glass ramekin jars with metal caps, which are currently more effectively recycled in the UK than most plastics.
BlasCymru/TasteWales is a great event for us to showcase these sustainable chocolate desserts as well as our wider range.”
Teifi Cheese
Asked why Teifi Cheese had attended the event, the founder John Savage-Onstwedder said:
“This is a great example of showing how WAG and business can work together.”
Puffin Produce
Managing Director Huw Thomas commented:
“The food system contributes up to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing the planet to heat up faster than ever before. We have to act now, so we’re on a mission to become carbon neutral and farm in a way that protects and regenerates our land, plants and wildlife. Root Zero potatoes are certified carbon neutral and grown using sustainable farming practices to remove carbon dioxide, create healthy soil and increase local biodiversity. We are hoping that these sustainably packed products will start to tackle the huge impact of the food industry on climate change.”
Blas ar Fwyd
Managing Director Deiniol ap Dafydd commented.
“This is an event to open potential avenues for food businesses. Having booked 20 minute slots for buyers has to be the best use of everybody’s time. The only annoyance is a few people making appointments and then not turning up. Perhaps there is a way this can be tightened up on for future events.”
Bluestone Brewery
Director Sales Operations Amy Evans told Welsh Country when asked what could be done to improve the event said:
“We’d love there to be more specialist drink buyers in attendance, but generally from our side this is more than a good event.”
Futura Foods
National Account controller John Cullen commented:
“This event has been very beneficial for us. There is a desperate need to get back to meeting face-to-face. BlasCymru/TasteWales, is really flying the flag for Welsh Food & Drink Businesses.”
Ty Nant Spring Water
Marketing Manager Anna Bevan commented:
“Being under new ownership it’s good to look to the future. It is so good to be here, seeing people and meeting buyers.”
Blaenafon Cheddar
Managing Director Susan Fiander-Woodhouse was full of praise:
“This event allows producers and buyers to target the people they both need to see. Thinking of the future from our side I’d love to see more hamper and deli buyers being invited.”
Trailhead Fine Foods
Managing Director Arwyn Watkins told Welsh Country:
“This was an unpressurised opportunity to have face-to- face conversations in a neutral environment. This meant that we had really good quality appointments from serious buyers. It is also good that the appointments were made from producer to buyers and also vice versa.”
Situated in the Rising Stars Sub Area of the Meet the Buyer
WRC Holdings
Produce Devils Bridge Spiced Rum. The holding company was established in 2019 and the rum launched in 2020. This is a company and product very much in its infancy but has made a huge impact in its time on the market. Not quite ready for the larger buyers, MD Gregor Shaw was realistic, but also optimistic going forward.
“This was a learning curve and once we are SALSA accredited we can take on the world. I am impressed that there were so many incredibly good quality buyers invited by the Welsh Government. I’ve found this event truly humbling. I am Scottish and know that if I was a food producer in Scotland I would not get the support that I have had at BlasCymru/TasteWales.”
Summary
The first BlasCymru/TasteWales was first held in 2017 and was always intended to be a biennial event. As it establishes itself as an event different to any other in the Food and Drink world across the UK, its reputation continues to rise.
At Welsh Country we hope readers can now understand a little more of the complexity of getting our favourite products from the factory floor to the shop shelf. Food and Drink Wales are to be applauded for continuing to promote Welsh Food and Drink businesses both inside Wales and in the United Kingdom and of course across the rest of the world.
For more information visit:
www.wales.lantra.co.uk/food-skills-cymru-programme
www.mentermon.com/en/priosectau/mon-larder/
