RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Best Of Welsh & Borders’

National Trust Appear To Be Upsetting Our Producers

03 Apr

I’ve not had many dealings with the National Trust, but have always admired the job they are doing in preserving our heritage and their on-going work for conservation and preservation.

However, what has disturbed me of late is getting feedback from quite a few producers, who initially and understandably chuffed to bits getting their produce stocked in National Trust, (NT) properties and shops are now not so pleased. The reason is money or to be precise the new payment terms from the National Trust. I’ve been told that any producer delivering and the invoicing the NT on 15th April would only be paid by the 30th June, that is payment at the end of the month following the invoice, but it may take 10 working days to process the invoice. Gosh how convenient for them.

I’m horrified by this, as I had, naively it now seems, to have this image of the NT as a fair company, on a par with the likes of John Lewis, a business you could trust. Not like one of the big four supermarkets who can make their suppliers literally jump through hoops rather than pay them promptly. If suppliers are forced to wait such a long time for their money, I’m disgusted. I’ll wait to be told my information is wrong and NT pay all their suppliers within 30 days – if not before! Another supplier not impressed with NT is one who has been waiting months, and months and months and months, to get some lines accepted and have been run around in circles, with still no decision.

I also hear of small companies having issues working in National Trust properties with planning delays and people having extended leave with no cover in their absence. Well this is a sad situation but my sympathies is of course to our producers.

I know from our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers how tough their life is and they really don’t need slow payers to add to their worries.

Many visitors come to Wales and to tour a historic house or castle is very much a part of their holiday experience. Whilst doing this they love to shop either for themselves or for a gift to take back home and its here where our Welsh food producers can fit the
bill. A gift of honey, jam, chutney, cheese, local beer or cider makes the perfect present. But if the news I’ve had through is accurate, then I can see many producers having no alternative but to stop supplying the NT and to look for other markets. Now this would be sad, obviously not just for our producers, but for the NT to have thrown away the opportunity to showcase local food from our artisan producers and offer our visitors some home grown treats. Our visitors don’t need to be offered gifts, knick knacks or tat made in China, Japan or Korea, for goodness sake offer them a selection of what is made here in Wales and be proud of that very fact – support our food producers please!!!

 
1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Swansea Food & Drink Festival

05 Mar

I didn’t attend this one which ran on 25th February.

But talking to some Best Of  Welsh & Borders producers at Saundersfoot it was not a huge success. Not certain on this but was told stands were £185.00 for one day. It said one day event  on the web and on the listing I had through from Wag it showed this event was running either the 25th Feb or 3rd March, but apparently it was a two day show!!!! The tradestand prices are certainly not cheap, especially as this event got £8,004 funding  from Wag.

It is a poor show when traders don’t bother coming back for the second days trading. Generally the Sunday is always the quieter day, but if you can’t make money on the Saturday, do you really want to waste you time and fuel going back?  

It was the 6th year this event has run and obviously can’t give my comments as to how they can improve it but I’m certainly not happy to hear that traders were disappointed with the numbers of visitors and so that they were not able to make any decent money.

 
2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Pembrokeshire Produce Direct – Accounts

21 Dec

I have received a copy of ‘Report and Unaudited Accounts for 30 November 2010 presented by the six directors. The company accountants were not instructed to carry out an audit or a review. The directors are satisfied that the company is entitled to exemption from the requirement to obtain an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006.

Turnover/sales in 2010 was £173,712* as against £72,651 in 2009, cost of sales was £156,964 this year and £52,970 in 2009. This year their operating loss was £46,776 compared to £11,808 in 2009. The loss for 2010 was £44,296. I understand that the 2009 accounts are from trading starting in March.

In 2010, sales are listed as £163,980 with an addition of £9,732 for carriage outwards. As there was no carriage outwards shown in the 2009 figures, one can assume that this figure equates to  2,163 parcels at £4.50 each (the cost of carriage that PPD charges). This number of deliveries means over this 18 month period that the average number of deliveries per week was 27.

Also under Cost of Sales, carriage is listed once again as £14,838 for 2010 and £444.00 in 2009. Under Administration, postage is shown at £4,307 for 2010, which is an awful lot of letters sent, more than 11,000 first class letters sent at standard first class postage or over 11,000 magazine type mailings with Royal Mail discounts), but there is no postage shown in 2009. The accounts show a lot of blanks under 2009, bearing in mind the PPD project started in March, including packaging, wages and salaries, NI, staff training, rent, light & heat, stationery & printing, software and postage as a few examples.    

The accounts state that during the year the company suffered trading deficits that were partially supported by revenue grant aid. The directors have reviewed the forecast of trading deficits and believe that these will be supported by ongoing grant support which has been confirmed to them by Welsh Assembly Government. The directors believe that the company will continue to trade for the foreseeable future and that the going concern basis remains appropriate. The company received a grant advance of £93,906 from Welsh Assembly Government in 2009 to be repaid from all future grant aid dependant on continued trading performance.   

Administrative expenses shown for 2010

Employee costs:                £

Wages/salaries               70,435   

Employers NI                    6,647

Staff training & welfare       825

Travel & subsistence       2,208

Motor expenses                   399

Entertaining                      1,330

I’m still unsure of how many staff PPD is employing, or if staff numbers have been reduced since the project started, but £70k on salaries is extra-ordinarily high based against performance. Reading through these accounts again though, it appears that the salaries and NI shown, are from March 2009 as well as 2010.  

I am being told many tales about PPD, what I’m interested in knowing is which people put this initial project together and what they think of PPD performance so far…………………….

Thanks for those of you that have put up your comments on welshfoodbites, and the huge support we have had from our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers.  I’ve said before and shall repeat again, if you wish to put up your comments, no-one will know who you are, unless you wish to put your full name to your views.  The only person that will know is me, and I certainly will not reveal person’s identity. As always, you have my assurance on that.  

 

 
12 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Aberystwyth Christmas Market

19 Dec

Saturday saw me in Aberystwyth, in North Parade, the normal farmer’s market site, to see how the festive market was running without support from Wag this year. Wag had decided that in previous years, this event had too many craft stalls. Not an opinion that I would agree with, I’ve never felt that Aber. Christmas market had lots of craft, but if it had, I believe this was a plus for a festive market. But Wag, in their wisdom made that decision, but still went ahead supporting many other events this year that are clearly craft top heavy.

I’m disappointed that the organisers didn’t raise an official objection about this funding withdrawal, but perhaps they decided an objection on this one might not help their further applications for their other food events. If that’s the case, which seems likely, it makes a mockery of Wag’s system, but then as it’s never appeared fair to me, is that going to change now? I’ll leave you guessing as to the person in Wag that Aberystwyth’s organisers should have complained too, if they wished to have taken that risk …………………

My view is that this has always been a good festive market, it’s much needed for the town, it’s very popular with the traders and deserved some funding, but there again, what do I know about what Wales needs as regards food?

This year there were about 30 food stands and the quality of stands was very good indeed. There were roughly about eight craft stands and I do think the craft stands certainly added to this Christmas market. What better opportunity to blend food and craft all made inWales? I’d loved to have seen more banners and posters around the town, but at least there were some! This year the organisers were lucky with the weather, it was chilly and windy, but with spells of sunshine breaking through. As always there were some mixed reports from stallholders about how trade was, but generally they were fairly positive and it was lovely to see Gill’s Plaice there and the chance for me to purchase some excellent fresh Welsh fish. Always a delight to see some of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers there to, they always tell me just how well, or not an event is going!!  

Some serious thought needs to be put in to see how trade in all Welsh markets can be improved. That needs to be done now whilst we still have markets and have traders willing to do them. Ihad hoped that with the fork2fork, 2 year, £800k project, markets would now be on a stronger footing, but it is certainly not what I m hearing.     

As I drove passed the market later in the morning, I spotted a large white van signed up as Pembrokeshire Produce Direct, (PPD). Perhaps I need glasses as I saw a PPD van at the festive market for Pembrokeshire Produce Direct, (PPD), but didn’t see their stand there. So why was one of PPD’s van parked up along with other trader’s vans?

I’m not sure how many vans, we, the taxpayers have funded to help PPD carry out their project, but are these vans available for all PPD members to use?   Or was this a one off?

 
2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Update Pembrokeshire Produce Direct

06 Dec

I’m sure our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers will be glad of this latest information that’s come through, from a good source, which I hope will help with your queries on this project.

PPD submitted an application for a project under the Supplies Chain Efficiencies Scheme of the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007 -2013, funded by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and for the Welsh Government.

Their objective is to develop a supply chain for primary Produce in Pembrokeshire, south Ceredigion and west Carmarthenshire.

The project started on 04/03/2009 and ends on 03/02/2014

It is to support a collective marketing initiative undertaken by 72 producers in Pembrokeshire, southern Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Swansea.

The total cost of the project is: £793,272 and PPD were awarded £469,530

I am also told that Pembrokeshire County Council has not put any financial funding support into PPD. Which does not agree with my being told that PPD did get an interest free loan as their grant had not arrived. PCC have supplied support as a coordinating and facilitating role as part of its business support for food producers in Economic Development. The idea of the project is to help local producers from Pembrokeshire and neighbouring counties to come together as a cooperative to assist in selling and distributing their produce to a wider customer base.   

 

 
9 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

PPD – And The Rumblings Continue

05 Dec

Headed to Pembrokeshire on Saturday to check out the St Nicholas Christmas Market in Saundersfoot as quite a few of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers were there and it was good to catch up with them. I was surprised that there was an entrance charge of £2.00 per adult which drew some unfavourable comments, with some people refusing to pay to go in just to shop. I can quite see their point and although there was some live music outside, there was only a cookery demo as an added extra, not sure if people thought this was worth £2.00 or maybe as locals people just enjoy seeing some activity in the harbour area. There was a sign saying that charging will ensure the market runs again next year, but it’s not easy to get that message through to the public. The feedback from producers was mixed, Friday had been very quiet, classed by some as a setting up day, but there were certainly some busy spells when I was there. There wasn’t much room between the rows of stands, esepcially with wheelcahirs and pushcahirs and people stopping to browse and buy. A larger marquee would have made it more comfortable and welcomng, but of course that just increases the cost for the event,even though it would have made life easier to for the traders to show off their wares and actually sell.     

Anyway, back once more to PPD as the unease amongst the producers is growing. I’m being told that PPD might try WG for funding, but I can’t see that happening, or they might return to their long-term financial supporters, Pembrokeshire County Council, (PCC). The more likely option must be for the bosses of PPD to go cap in hand once again to PCC as they’ll know that PCC wil not want this project to fail. PCC might then use the Rural Development Plan, (RDP) which is financed by the EU and the Welsh Government.  Pembrokeshire Produce Direct’  has already received funding through the Rural Development Plan.

Not sure if you are aware that PCC are using the RDP from 2007 – 2013 to part fund Fish Week.

A questionnaire has been sent out to all producers with PPD along with a letter on 28th November. I commented and posted on the letter on 1st December.  Questions range from the basic, which I thought they would already know, ‘how long have you been in business’ to ‘are you fully committed to PPD and do you wish to continue being a part of it?  One of my many worries about this project is that if the producers don’t commit on this questionnaire to being positive and pro PPD, if it doesn’t continue then the producers, not the management are likely to take the blame for the fall out – ‘they didn’t support us’ – it’s the producer’s fault

I’ve still not heard whether any PPDstaff have been made redundant or if the management have taken pay cuts but an unconfirmed  rumour I heard, said that extra staff were being taken on, whether these are company trouble shooters I have yet to establish and also importantly who is paying for them?          

 

 
6 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Rumblings Continue About Pembrokeshire Produce Direct

01 Dec

The rumblings have continued over the last few weeks as more producers bend my ear about Pembrokeshire Produce Direct, (PPD). Apparently there was a further meeting/party on 18th November to discuss amongst other things how to make sure that PPD is still a business in years to come.

Of course I’ve got an interest in this, firstly becuase they’ve received huge funding, secondly because its food related and finally because I have some of our Best Of  Welsh & Borders producers signed up with them.

Producers have been sent a copy of the accounts and although I have yet to see them, I’m told they paint a gloomy picture. The European grant funding PPD received, which runs on a declining scale is due to end in the not too distant future.

I understand that PPD needs to be servicing 250 customers on a regular basis by March 2013 when at the moment, on average, they are currently servicing 50-60 customers. So after all this time and with huge funding, how is this increased customer miracle going to happen? I’m told that PPD have also taken on board producers from outside the county. When PPD were challenged with this they said that they didn’t have enough variety of producers in Pembrokeshire. Fair enough, but in that case why would anyone involved in the initial planning of this venture not know that fact before they went for funding? So why press forward with a name of Pembrokeshire Produce Direct when they know they cannot source entirely from Pembrokeshire? Whose decision was that?  

Now the latest plan from PPD is to ‘ask’ its producers to bring in at least 2 new regular customers by end of January. They also want some of them to sort out their pricing structure so that PPD customers are not penalised or overcharged by shopping with PPD. Again something I would have thought would have been sorted out years ago. PPD also want to offer more promotions on occasional highlighted products or special themed packs, and will also look at ideas from producers too. PPD also want the producers to remember, promote and also to push PPD, well that’s what they’d like the producers to do on top of running their own businesses.

So what are PPD doing over and above what they should be doing anyway? Well they’re funding a £5.00 voucher which will be given out with Xmas orders and is valid for on orders for 5th or 12th January. They are also talking about a free delivery fortnight again in January to target new customers and reward loyal ones. Well that seems to be it if I’m understanding all this latest news correctly, put more onto the producers. I’m not sure at this late stage in the business plan how this is actually going to generate much more trade for them. Its fine for PPD to shift work work/effort onto producers but unless I have got it completely wrong I cannot see PPD being the main core of any producer’s business and therefore it is never going to be a priority. As a complete outsider, I’d like to have seen PPD doing much, much more and as the business seems in such dire straights, have any staff been made redundant or any salaries reduced?  

As they reach the end of the line, PPD are not left with many options. I’ve been told a few times that PPD are considering going cap-in-hand to Wag or trying that same tack with Pembrokeshire Country Council. If either of those avenues is used there will be an enormous uproar if this business is supported once again from the public purse. This is yet another well-propped up business that is failing to deliver on all counts. How much of that is down to a poor intial business idea, or an ill-thought out plan, or staff unable to deliver what was needed, there’s much food for thought but time does seem to be running away from this project.

Love to hear your thoughts.

 
10 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Winter Fair Feedback

30 Nov

I talked to a lot of producers on Monday, many of them our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers and they’re are still reasonably happy with the layout in the Food Hall. I really couldn’t be bothered counting the stands, but guess there were around 40ish there this year, in a specifically designed Food Hall to hold 60 stands.

I’m still have a concern about visitors to the Winter Fair and their options for hot food. There were just a couple of stands doing hot food in the Food Hall and I’m guessing this might be due to more European rulings, which Wales must  follow, that says hot food is ‘not allowed ‘in the Food Hall. Or could it be that RWAS make so much more money from the food concessions that they object to producers selling hot food in the Food Hall? Which of course directed people to the many mobile food vans where I saw many people queuing for hot food alongside the massive burger vans – which I’m sure, were not always serving Welsh produce. The queue around lunch-time in the Glamorgan Hall for food was enormous and there was no hope of you finding a seat either! It made life difficult for those in wheelchairs, with children or had elderly folks with them. As to whether they were serving Welsh food, or not I’ll reserve judgement……….

I have my usual issues with the Royal Welsh as a venue and it starts even before you park up. There’s hardly any ‘yellow jackets’ and those that are wandering around, don’t appear to be doing too much. Then the guys on the gate cannot even be bothered with a good morning, let alone welcome to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

The tradestand prices are another mystery, with one trader saying a corner stand cost £606.00 for just two days trading. That’s a lot of money to find and that’s just the start of it. This trader only got a few car passes and they’d staff to get in and out over the trading days. Why are these basic issues such a constant problem for our producers?

My other whinge is that some producers don’t even have business cards, which I always find hard to believe. But on a good note, a lot of the traders had made a huge effort to make their stands look festive, with lots of special offers to tempt the punters with. I’m not sure why WG can’t organise a Best Stand competition to encourage more to get into the festive spirit.  

At the close of Monday, feedback was fairly good, not brilliant by any means for many of them, but some were reasonably happy in such a difficult trading year. 

There was also much talk about the festival organisers meeting last week, but sadly not much of it good. Were some producers invited just to tick another WG/European box? Or were they invited because they could have some input to what is a huge part of many of their businesses. Some of the producers I spoke to didn’t feel that it would be useful for them so if they were invited didn’t bother going. But I wonder why the organisers, when they were getting such a poor response from producer invites, didn’t do a ring around as a reminder. But there again, as producer input didn’t appear to be wanted, then this would have been another waste of time, which actually would not be an issue if the organisers were being paid by the WG……………………..

 
12 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Producer Feedback On Cardiff Bay Waterfront Christmas Market

22 Nov

Rumours are flying fast today as I hear of another Christmas Fair that was unable to emulate the success of  Landeilo Christmas Festival of Senses would made massive efforts on the same weekend. Producers have  been giving me an update on the Cardiff event, which took place from Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th

Thursday and Friday ran from midday until 8.00pm, with Saturday running for 10.00 – until 9.00pm and Sunday 10.00 – 6.00pm, long hours but traders don’t mind that if they are taking plenty of cash. Well to do take lots of cash, you need lots of customers and sadly Production 78, who I’m told were the organisers, were unable to deliver on that front. Result was that trade was absolutely appalling. With tempers fraying as traders not only wasted time, money and often fresh stock, they were looking at what appears to be broken promises of live music, street theatre, craft workshops and Father Christmas, instead they got a school choir and canned music with the same cd being played continuously. They were also told that there would be marketing and advertising behind this event. But as a journalists and publisher- with a huge interest in food – I only knew about this event because one of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers told me about it. Not a single press release did I receive – so not much marketing there guys! Now if this wasn’t bad enough, I am told that traders had to pay £1,000 for their stands which I’m think it is on a par with the high prices charged by The Royal Welsh, but in fairness to the RWAS they can always get the punters in.

What continues to annoy and puzzle me about organisers is that they appear to pluck a tradestand price out of the air and haven’t the slightest thought as to what profit margins our food producers can actually work on.             

Wag are not at fault on this one, they are blameless as they didn’t put any of our hard-earned money into this event. But not blaming Wag doesn’t make me feel any better, another poor event is not the news I wish to hear. In some ways I’m sorry I didn’t attend Cardiff to see for myself waht actually went on. But I’m sure I’ll get further feedback as the week goes on as I know quite a few of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers were in attendance .

 
5 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Landeilo Christmas Festival of Senses Versus Gwyl Fwyd Blas Tywi

21 Nov

Well there’s no contest on who was the winner on this one. The Llandeilo Christmas Festival, which took place from 18th - 20th November was a huge success. I called there on Sunday morning and I couldn’t believe, not only how busy it was, but how massively busy it had been over the weekend. 

This is the second year this festival has run and last year Wag funded them. However this year funding was not given to them, but instead Wag funded Gwyl Fwyd Blas Tywi which, let’s just say was a flop with some food traders not attending on the Sunday, due to such poor trade. Wag decided against funding Festival Of Senses, because in their view had too much craft – shame Wag did not apply their criteria that food must be the main activity, against Llandysul which yet again Wag decided to fund. It’s all well and good Wag issuing their criteria, but it seriously falls down when they don’t stick to it!!!!

Last year, with the Wag funding they could and did run a food marquee, which catered for about 25 stands, this year the food traders had to go into the Church Hall on the main street, which could only take 10 stands but many of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers too! So let’s help Wag and do the maths, a loss of 15 stands and a loss of revenue for those traders who I’m sure had a good event there last year, but this year there was simply not space for.

For me to go around any food event and get smiles and good news from ALL traders is about as rare as hen’s teeth, but that is just what happened on Sunday. Happy traders, having taken good money with some of them running out of some items.

As Wag had withdrawn their funding, I’m sure no-one from Wag took the trouble to attend – they’d have better things to do I’m sure, but please listen to someone who did attend. Talk to the producers if you cannot bear to believe me and get their feedback – this event worked and could have worked even better with some funding. I’m not sure how much we are talking about here moneywise, but I had heard they only needed around £5-6k.   

My congratulations go to Tracey Kindred from Heavenly Chocolates and the brilliant team she has put together to run this event. How wonderful for the town and all the businesses that were lucky enough to get stands. You put on a super show and visitor feedback proves that.

 

Wag you backed the wrong Llandeilo horse on this one and I just wish you’d listen to people rather than sticking haphazardly to this year’s criteria.

 
4 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries