According to Winston Churchill “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.”
The following stories are of Welsh Food and Drink companies that have certainly grabbed the ‘Opportunities Won Baton.’
Buster Grant of Brecon Brewing told Welsh Country how they have a strategy of Bringing the Beacons to you!
Brecon Brewing
Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown has had a dramatic effect on all areas at Brecon Brewing – draught sales almost completely disappeared overwnight and the race was on to complete the work we had already started on improving our on-line sales, across a number of platforms. Fortunately, this work, already well progressed by March, was rapidly completed and the sales have been going exceptionally well, complimenting supplies to local farm shops and independent retailers.
This pause in draught production, and the extra ‘spare’ time caused by the cancellation of the spring and summer’s various events, have given Head Brewer Buster Grant, some time to contemplate a few ideas that had been lurking in his mind and create some new beers for Brecon Brewing.
Buster explains:
“We were able to immediately launch two new beers in bottle, Brecon Copper and Brecon Daffodil – the former being one of our regular brews with a solid reputation within the pub trade, which we’ve previously had numerous enquiries to supply in bottles. The Brecon Daffodil is our hugely popular Spring beer, pale golden, beautifully floral and highly anticipated! We have often thought about making this beer available all year round in bottles, so now seemed like a great opportunity.”
Despite Brecon Brewing moving to Brynmenyn last year, following the merger with Cold Black Label, Buster still lives in Brecon, and the drive each morning and evening through the Beacons, beset with barriers and signage warning people away, seemed particularly mournful, especially given the weather we’ve been having. Buster continued:
“The Beacons are a hugely popular attraction and certainly dominate the landscape around us here, as well as being the source of our water, they have always been an inspiration to me. Throughout my brewing career I’ve always created and named certain beers inspired by these magnificent peaks. Given the current restrictions, now seemed the ideal time to bring back three favourite beers and launch them together – Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du – the three peaks which dominate the skyline over Brecon (and our logo!). Producing these three beers in bottles means that if you can’t get to the Beacons, the Beacons can now come to you!”
Cribyn is the third highest peak in the group, and the inspiration for this beautiful 4.5 % abv Extra Pale Ale – the clean, crisp nature is heightened with the wilful use Amarillo hops to give a huge, pointed floral citrus aroma.
Corn Du is the second highest peak, and the muse for this 5.0% abv aromatic Amber Ale – four different malts create the welcoming warm hue and Bramling Cross hops deliver a spicy, berry flavour profile.
Pen y Fan, (literally Top of the Beacon), is the highest summit in the Beacons and a fitting name for our spectacular 6.0% abv golden British IPA. UK grown Progress and Cascade hops provide the floral honey aroma to this deep, characterful strong beer.
These three new beers are now available from the brewery’s various on-line shops since early June and Buster hints that there are at least two more projects bubbling away, getting closer to fruition!
Keep an eye on Brecon Brewing’s social media for more hints and details!
Visit: breconbrewing.co.uk
In a similar fashion of foods and drinks that make you feel more comfortable, chocolate has to be very high on the list. So no better time for Mallow Tailor to bring out a new range, Kate tells the tale:
Mallow Tailor
We have recently launched our chocolate slabs range, Slabolate (slab-of-chocolate); a moreish large, thick slice of handmade chocolate with carefully selected fillings designed to tantalise the taste buds of considerably fortunate connoisseurs.
At 100g, you can either share the indulgence of this slab or just tuck yourself up, close your eyes and let the flavour sensation take you to your favourite place.
These make great gifts as well as ‘you’re worth it’ treats. We deliver direct to whoever you want and can include a personal message of your choice as part of our ‘made to measure’ service.
Moving away from tradition foods to the more modern era of nutritional foods for various purposes. Watt Nutrition produces bars of food to use around exercise and wanted to refine a new protein bar range. David Coates of Watt Nutrition tells Welsh Country of their Covid experience and unexpected benefits.
Watts Nutrition
During lockdown we have had the time to develop our new protein bar, which after over 100 different versions, we are finally happy with!
It takes time to experiment and design the right recipe and get the correct nutritional content and that is what lockdown has allowed us to do
People have also been training more during lockdown which has seen our products take an increase in sales, which is fantastic.
We are now finalising the website and tweaking the online appearance and are happy to announce we can now post our product around the UK.
We are looking forward to the events opening up again to get stuck into competing, as well as fuelling the athletes.
Visit: @Watt-Nutrition
We all have that relative or friend that has a cupboard full of deliciousness. Well it was friends and family that Seb Davy had as his first customers, albeit non paying customers. Follows is their story:
Grandma’s Cupboard
After 25 years of perfecting recipes for family and friends, Grandma’s Cupboard finally opened its doors in 2017. Established on the outskirts of Llandudno, we only produce very small batches of vodka, rum and gin based liqueurs.
Our original idea was just to create a range of liqueurs that would be enjoyed as tipples, very much in the way that we had been doing for years. However when we started attending public events we soon realised that customers wanted to have more choice of different ways to enjoy them in long drinks too, so we started developing a range of cocktails, mostly inspired from classic cocktails, but also aiming to make the whole cocktail making experience much easier and less daunting. As a result, we are now also working with some independent pubs and cocktails lounges who find our products tasteful and easy to use. We host cocktails evenings as well as selling our products in festivals and delis.
We endeavour to work with local producers as much as possible and we now have 15 lines in our range. We were awarded a Great Taste Award in 2019 and we are using lockdown to develop new products to expand our range when things return to some sort of normality.
Visit: grandmascupboard.co.uk
Along very similar lines to Grandma’s Cupboard it is liqueurs that come from Shizzy. Not only working with new products but also new services, which is a brilliant way to survive as Elisabeth Jones explains!
Shlizzy
Diversification to survive – pushing the new website to sell more online now as there are no fayres to attend. Socially distant local deliveries tried out.
New products – Currently infusing new flavour – strawberry gin liqueur – ready as soon as the labels are.
New services – Waiting to hear about an Alcohol Wholesale licence so as I can sell in shops and pubs once they re-open. Will continue with free local deliveries for over £10 order.
Visit: @shlizzyskitchen
Diversification and or new products, whichever way you look at it, businesses have had to change to survive both in the short-term, but also thinking for the long-term. Ben Lloyd of Halen Dewi is definitely thinking longer term by completely redesigning the packaging and branding of his products.
Halen Dewi
We have re-branded with help from the designers at Pie Creative and View Creative and love our new look. Like many businesses, Halen Dewi, St Davids Sea Salt have been taking a hit on sales during lockdown, so we decided it was a great time for research and development. We carried out online polls to gauge interest in new products and from this research developed several fantastic new products. We are relaunching with new branding, new packaging and two new products, so keep an eye out online and at all good shops near you.
* Company now closed
Small Welsh food and drink businesses have approached or reacted to Covid 19 in so many different ways, solving their particular issues with typical entrepreneurial spirit. All we ask when you read through these stories is to think that behind each business is at least one family that is doing its very best to bring to us all a huge array of quality artisan food and drink.
We know we keep repeating ourselves but, still insist that it can never be said enough, that to see Wales through this pandemic come out stronger on the other side is to help the smaller Welsh businesses by buying their products. This keeps the Welsh pound in Wales and has the most fabulous circular motion that benefits all of us living in Wales in the end.
