FOOD Centre Wales recently hosted a very successful ‘Going for Growth’ event to help local food and drink businesses to focus their attention on developing and reaching new markets.

The event at Horeb, Llandysul, attracted many local food and drink producers as well as other business support agencies.

Rachel Rowlands, founder of Rachel’s Organic, opened the event by sharing her experience of growing a food business. Welsh Government presented the latest industry research data to help businesses identify potential growth areas for their businesses. Ruth Davies, from Cwm Farm, shared her experience of product development, supplying Selfridges and exporting.

Leader of Ceredigion County Council, Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn, said: “The food industry is one of the main industries in the county, with some 3,700 people working in it and, of course, based on our excellent agricultural products.

“Some of the most strategic and iconic companies of the food sector in Wales have sites in Ceredigion, for example, Rachel's, Dunbia (formerly Oriel Jones), T? Nant and Volac.

“Horeb Food Centre has served most of the Ceredigion food and drink companies since it opened in 1996. We are very pleased that the centre has also successfully provided services to many other companies across Wales and beyond.”

The morning finished with Morrisons buyer, Matt Trigg, explaining what they look for in food products and how to get onto their supermarket shelves. He also met with many of the producers for private meetings in the afternoon.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd, cabinet Member with responsibility for economic and community development highlighted the important role of Food Centre Wales in the food and drink industry in Ceredigion.

He said: “This event goes to show how valuable Food Centre Wales is for small and medium businesses.

“We’re proud of the high standard of our locally-produced food and drink within Ceredigion and are enthusiastic about how we can show support in local businesses to flourish. I’m very much looking forward to the exiting developments in the food and drinks industry in the future.”

Delegates toured the research and development building, followed by one-to-one sessions with food technologists and other business support agencies – Business Wales, Landsker, Finance Wales, Antur Teifi, Menter a Busnes and Lantra.

The event was organised in collaboration with Cywain and the LEADER groups - Arwain Sir Benfro (Pembrokeshire), RDP Sir Gâr (Carmarthenshire) and Cynnal y Cardi (Ceredigion).

If you are a food or drink producer and would like to receive help from Food Centre Wales, phone 01559 362230 or email gen@foodcentrewales.org.uk.