Food and drink industry of Wales

The food and drink industry of Wales is the sector of the Welsh economy consisting of food and soft drink companies as well as distilleries and breweries in Wales. The food and drink sector is classed as a priority economic sector in Wales. It involves 170,000 people that contribute to gross sales of £17.3 billion.[1]

## Alcohol

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See also: Beer in Wales and Welsh whisky

Penderyn Distillery and Visitor Centre, Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taf

### Boss Brewing

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Boss Brewing is a craft brewery in Swansea, South Wales, founded in 2014[2] by husband and wife Sarah and Roy Allkin.[3] In May 2015 the brewery received a Society of Independent Brewers Gold Award[4] and was awarded CAMRA's Champion Beer of Wales award for its stout in 2019.[5]

### Bragdy Nant

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Bragdy Nant is an ale brewery near the town of Llanrwst, North Wales.[6] The brewery produces cask and bottle-conditioned ales, and is one of four North Wales breweries jointly operating the Albion Ale House in the town of Conwy.[7][8] The name Bragdy Nant is Welsh for River or Stream Brewery. Bragdy Nant's dark ale Mwnci Nel was awarded silver in CAMRA's 2010 Champion Beer of Wales competition.[9] The brewery has also produced an ale for the nearby Plas y Brenin mountaineering centre in Capel Curig.[10]

### Brains

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Brains is a regional brewery based in Cardiff, Wales. It was founded in 1882 by Samuel Arthur Brain.[11] The company controls more than 250 pubs in South Wales (particularly in Cardiff), Mid Wales and the West Country. The company took over Crown Buckley Brewery in Llanelli in 1997 and Hancock's Brewery in 1999. In 2000, Brains moved to the former Hancock's Brewery just south of Cardiff Central railway station. The Old Brewery, in Cardiff city centre, has been developed into a modern bar and restaurant complex. The company produces a range of beers under the Brains, Buckley's and Hancock's names. As part of their marketing strategy, Brains use shirt sponsorship for the Wales national rugby union team and the Crusaders Rugby League team.[12] It is the largest private sector employer is the Cardiff brewer and pub owner Brains Brewery, which employs nearly 1,800 people.[13]

### Evan Evans

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Evan Evans is a brewery in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales.The brewery was founded by Simon Buckley[14] in 2004.[15] In 2014 the brewery company incorporated as Evan-Evans Group Ltd.[16] and launched the Porter Street Brewing Company, a brewer of cask ale in London.[17]

### Felinfoel Brewery

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Felinfoel Brewery is a brewery based in the village of Felinfoel near Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The existing brewery building dates from 1878 (according to a date plaque on its south facade),[18] constructed by local innkeeper (and iron and tinplate works owner) David John.[19] The brewery grew to employ fifty people and expanded its market to the surrounding counties. After John's retirement his sons took over the business and, in 1906, it was registered as a limited company.[19][20] In the 1920s the company was managed by John's daughter, Mary Anne Lewis, a formidable woman who always carried a big stick.[19] In 1935 Felinfoel became the first brewery in the UK[21] (and one of the first breweries in Europe) to produce beer in cans.[22]

### Hurns Brewing Company Ltd. (Tomos Watkin)

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The Hurns Brewing Company Limited is a drinks and brewery company based in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Hurns own several pubs in Wales. It acquired the Tomos Watkin range of beers in 2002.[citation needed]

### Penderyn

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Penderyn produces single malt whiskies and spirits at their distillery in Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales.[23]

### Tiny Rebel

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Tiny Rebel beers are available in cask, keg, bottle and can. The company is known for its Cwtch (rhyming with "butch" and meaning "cuddle" in Welsh), having won Supreme Supreme Champion Beer of Britain with it, in its cask ale format, in 2015.[24] Core ranges of each package are available all year round, with specials and seasonals released intermittently. In 2016, Tiny Rebel released 30 new beers. The company's beers are sold throughout the UK, with selected products available in Welsh branches of supermarkets Co-op and Marks & Spencer. Around 15% of the company's beer is exported, with Australia, Japan, Norway and Sweden being the largest overseas markets.[citation needed]

### Tudor Brewery

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Tudor Brewery is a microbrewery in Llanhilleth, Blaenau Gwent, Wales. In 2016, the company's Black Rock Ale won the CAMRA award for Champion Beer of Wales.[25][26]

### Wrexham Lager

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Wrexham Lager is a brewery in Wrexham, north-east Wales, that has produced alcoholic drinks for more than 120 years. A new hi-tech brewery opened in 2011 in the heart of Wrexham, after the original closed in 2000. The original brewery was demolished between 2002 and 2003. Only the historic building in which brewing started still remains. Wrexham lager made a comeback on 29 October 2011 at the Buck House Hotel in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham. The Roberts family who restarted WXM Lager are using the same ingredients as those from which it was originally brewed.[citation needed]

## Other drinks

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### Tŷ Nant (water)

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Tŷ Nant is a mineral water brand bottled at source in Bethania, Ceredigion, Wales. Tŷ Nant is Welsh for "House by the stream".[citation needed]

### Lurvills Delight (soft drink)

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Lurvills Delight was a popular carbonated soft drink in Wales between 1896 and 1910. Invented by twin brother residents of Ynyshir Harold and Iolo Lewis in 1895, the carbonated mixture included stinging nettles and Dock leaves and was infused with Juniper berry extract.[27] The profits made from the drink were used to pay for 150 coal miners and their families from the village to emigrate to Pittsburgh and Denver in the United States. The drink ceased production in 1910 due to a shortage of Dock leaves in the local area. Delight was brought back in September 2016 by Lurvills Delight Ltd with The Original Botanical Blend bottled soft drink going back into production in Wales.[28]

## Food industry

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### Brace's Bakery

[edit]

Brace's is a Crumlin-based Welsh bakery and bakery products brand. Braces Bakery started exporting their bread to Europe in 2011 through international export company, Foodlynx. The exports of Braces Bread grew dramatically in 2012.[citation needed] Braces Bread can now be found in Spain, Portugal, Malta, Greece and Cyprus and is distributed to many hotels and restaurants by European Foodservice Companies as well as being sold in European supermarkets.[citation needed]

### Cadwalader's

[edit]

Today, Cadwalader's stores can be found in Wales at Betws-y-Coed, Barry Island, Criccieth, Porthmadog, Tenby and three stores in Cardiff. There is also a store in England at Trentham Gardens.[29][30] As well as the original Cadwalader's vanilla ice cream and a variety of flavoured ice creams and sundaes, the café also sells its own bespoke blends of coffee, loose leaf tea, and other hot drinks.[31]

### Clark's Pies

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Clark's Pies, also colloquially nicknamed "Clarkies" or "Clarksies," are well-known meat pies that originated in Cardiff, and can now be found in Bristol and the South of Wales.[citation needed]

### Euro Foods

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Euro Foods (UK) Ltd is a UK-based food distribution company, which makes and supplies ethnic food. The company was founded in 1993 by Shelim Hussain, its headquarters is in the city of Cwmbran, South Wales, and has over 2,400 employees.[citation needed]

### Filco Foods

[edit]

Filco Foods is an independent grocery chain based in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. As of 2013, Filco has 8 stores[32] and operates as part of the Nisa group. Filco Foods was founded by Phillip Jones in 1946.[33] The original location opened on Wine Street in Llantwit Major in 1946. Goods were packaged and delivered according to the customer shopping lists. In 2010 the company celebrated its 65th anniversary with a charity drive.[34]

### Finsbury Food

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Finsbury Food is the largest single food industry employer in the Welsh private sector with 850 employees in Cardiff.[35]

### Michton (chocolate)

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Michton is the largest chocolate factory in Wales. Created in 1991 by Michelle and Tony Wadley in Enfield, Middlesex, in 1998 the company relocated to Swansea, South Wales. In 2003, Michton opened to the public. In 2008, it was announced that they had been chosen to supply the Rugby Football Union with a range of official chocolate.[36]

### Peter's Food Service

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Peter's Food Service is a Bedwas, Wales based baker and supplier of pies, pasties, slices, sausage rolls and factored products into retail, food service, catering and hospitality outlets across the United Kingdom. Today it is one of the largest employers in Wales,[citation needed] and one of the largest cold meat distributors in the United Kingdom.[citation needed]

### Pot Noodle

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Pot Noodle is manufactured in Croespenmaen, near Crumlin, Caerphilly, Wales, which became the topic of an advertising campaign of 2006, showing fictitious Pot Noodle mines in Wales.[37] The factory typically produces 175 million pots annually.[37]

### Rachel's Organic (yoghurt)

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Rachel's Organic is an organic dairy products company based in Aberystwyth, Wales. Founded by local farmers but now a subsidiary of French company Lactalis, it was the United Kingdom's first certified organic dairy.[38]

### Real Crisps

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Real Crisps (often stylized as REAL Crisps) is a crisp (potato chip) brand. The company was founded in 1997, and expanded over the following decade to become a business turning over £15 million a year. In 2007, it was purchased by the Northern Ireland-based crisp manufacturer Tayto. In 2012, a fire caused the destruction of the 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2) Real Crisp factory in Crumlin, Caerphilly. There are a range of flavours produced, and the company ran a limited edition political themed range prior to the 2010 United Kingdom general election.[citation needed]

## References

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1. ^ "Food and Drink Wales – Growing together". Business Wales – Food and drink. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
2. ^ "Welsh brewery changes name of beers after trademark battle with Hugo Boss". thedrinksbusiness.com. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
3. ^ "Boss Brewing". Master of Malt. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
4. ^ "Swansea-based Boss Brewing Win the Champion Stout of Wales Crown". Business News Wales. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
5. ^ "Champion Beer of Wales". CAMRA – Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
6. ^ "Bro... Llanrwst". S4C.co.uk. 2009. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
7. ^ "Rival breweries join to reopen The Albion pub in Conwy". BBC.co.uk. February 2, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
8. ^ "The best bars in the world". theguardian.com. November 30, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
9. ^ "Champion Beer of Wales". camra.org.uk. 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
10. ^ "New Booze For The Brenin". UKClimbing.com. May 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
11. ^ "The Beginning". SA Brain. Archived from the original on 2014-12-04.
12. ^ "Welsh Rugby". SA Brain. Archived from the original on 2014-12-04.
13. ^ Kelsey, Chris (2017-01-09). "The 10 biggest private sector employers in Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
14. ^ "Former brewery boss wins his appeal against assault conviction". Wales Online. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
15. ^ "Evan-Evans Group Ltd – Company Check". Retrieved 2020-11-25.
16. ^ "Evan-Evans Group Ltd – Company Check". Retrieved 2020-11-25.
17. ^ Denholm-Hall, Rupert (5 June 2014). "Evan Evans brewery moves into London cask ale market". Western Mail.
18. ^ "Felinfoel Brewery, Llanelli". COFLEIN. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
19. ^ a b c "The Evolution of Felinfoel: A little bit of history..." Felinfoel Brewery. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
20. ^ "Felinfoel Brewery Company Limited (The)". Companies House. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
21. ^ Devine, Darren (10 March 2016). "The story of how Llanelli brewers stunned the drinks industry by putting their beer in cans". Wales Online. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
22. ^ Prior, Neil (12 July 2015). "Llanelli's Felinfoel brewery pioneered beer in cans". BBC News. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
23. ^ "Penderyn". Manufacturing Wales. Archived from the original on 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
24. ^ "Champion Beer of Britain – News – CAMRA". CAMRA. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
25. ^ "CBOW Results 2016". gwbcf. Archived from the original on 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2022-05-07.
26. ^ "A tiny micro-brewery in the Valleys has just brewed the Champion Beer of Wales". Western Mail. 25 September 2016.
27. ^ Green, Martin (2017-11-23). "Borough Wines & Beers launches alcohol-free range". Drinks Retailing News. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
28. ^ Williams, Kathryn (2016-09-09). "A drink that was last produced 106 years ago is being made again in Wales". Media Wales. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
29. ^ "Cadwalader's Ice Cream". gluten-free-onthego.com. Retrieved 31 March 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
30. ^ "Out for a Bite: Cadwalader's Ice Cream Cafe, Criccieth". northwales.co.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
31. ^ "It's Cadwaladers Time!". www.cadwaladers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
32. ^ Filco seeks new sites as it returns to profit 7th Jan 2014 by Richard Frost Insider Media
33. ^ The Story of Filco Archived 2019-09-13 at the Wayback Machine Filco Supermarkets website
34. ^ Filco in charity drive for 65th anniversary The Grocer
35. ^ Kelsey, Chris (2017-01-09). "The 10 biggest private sector employers in Wales". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
36. ^ "Michton supplies the RFU". Swansea Bay Futures. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16.
37. ^ a b "From Pot Noodle to pit for advert". BBC News. 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
38. ^ "The Soil Association". The Times. London. 2009-09-25. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-22.

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