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Posts Tagged ‘welsh food’

Local Welsh Food At Royal Welsh Show

25 Jul

There was huge relief all round that the sun shone on the showground in Builth Wells. I visited on Monday and after signing in at the press Office and able to get a cup of PG Tips …….despite the fact that Welsh Brew Tea had two stands at the show; I made my way to the Food Hall. Before I entered the Welsh Food Hall, I had to pass a mobile van selling ice-cream, nothing wrong in that you might think, but you’d be wrong, this van was Kelly’s Of Cornwall, yes guys Cornwall!!! In our Welsh Food Hall there must have been at least three Welsh producers selling ice-cream and the quality of their product I know is second to none but why should they have to compete with a van from Cornwall just outside the Food Hall? Is there a Cornwall foodie insider working on their behalf in the RWAS? Or is there another reason for Cornwall ice-cream to have such a prominent position alongside our Food Hall. Now please don’t think that Kelly’s of Cornwall is a mini family business, because I didn’t walk the entire Welsh Showground I counted a total of three Kelly stands there. Now of course I’m aware just buy looking at the ‘quality’ of some of the stands at the outer reaches of the show ground that the RWAS must take any stand that wishes to attend, but is it really beyond the comprehension of RWAS and Wag Food to put in at least some effort to push Welsh food first.

I saw a few red banners bearing Welsh Assembly Government logo, saying there were supporting rural business, but perhaps micro and small food producers don’t come under Wag’s count of rural businesses. You hardly need to be the ‘Brain of Wales’ to work out that this mobile ice-cream van could easily have been sited elsewhere, it is after all a very large show ground and all it needed was a little thought and for Wag Food to recall who they are actually working for. Perhaps this might just get me into another game of ping pong when Wag might say it is not their jurisdiction and pass it over to RWAS, but if that’s the case RWAS might care to recall that Wag is possibly their biggest single benefactor. For as I understand it Wag allegedly put into the RWAS coffers via various means £1m for the summer show. Wag ‘occasionally’ forgets that those doing the paying, do the saying too.  Wag does use this ploy elsewhere, but that is another story to be aired here later.

So that was my day off to a poor start, but could it get worse? Sadly yes it could and it did. As I walked around the Food Hall, and I did that many times during the day, what struck me, as it did when Wag first opened this building is a total lack of anywhere to sit. There where no seating areas inside at all and it got to the stage where some people had no option but to sit on the floor. Good heavens what is life coming to that this obvious one to me anyway, is not important to the powers-that-be? There was space for seating areas to be done, as they were last year, but if you go onto Preseli Coffee or visit Welsh Brew Tea for a well earned cuppa, it appears you just wander around trying to drink it. As for food if you wish to buy some of the fabulous food on offer, then you eat on the hoof or go outside and find an area of grass to camp down. People resorted to sitting on the concrete steps outside and because the weather was lovely and warm, I guess that was better than nothing for them. But this area was not cleaned on a regular basis, not sure that I actually saw that many cleaners on my travels. But surely the infamous Food Hall should be a priority for cleanliness. I did find around one corner of the Hall just a few tables and chairs, but there was no bin sited there, just a few plastic bags tied to railings and the floor was nothing short of a disgrace. The demo kitchen, which ran last year in the Food Hall wasn’t there this year, but even that extra space didn’t spur Wag to provide a seating area. I would have thought that the longer we can keep people interested in the Food Hall the more opportunities for our producers to sell to them – but what do I know? Answers by email only please!!!!!!

So Wag; if that’s your showcase of Welsh Food, your standards need to rise. There were some outstanding producers in the Food Hall and many of them were our Best Of Welsh & Borders and I was delighted to be associated with them. What a choice of food on offer but what a dreadful shame I felt that they were let down by Wag once again.

I was told that Horeb Food Centre was having some sort of event in the room above the Food Hall, but think my invite got lost in the post, unless Horeb Food Centre had nothing to tell the press.

I was told by one producer that it cost £750 for a single fronted stand and £900 for a corner stand; this includes a table and two chairs and two tickets per day. Well although this is for four days, it’s still a huge amount of money bearing in mind if you want an extra table, that’s another twenty pounds, there was no chiller area this year, but of course if you wished to hire a fridge from them they could do that – for another fee. Last year the traders had a coffee and tea machine and water provided, this year they only had water, but no explanation for the change this year, maybe they are expected to just be grateful they got water included for their £750 fee. I’ve just checked my old records for RWAS 2008. According to the letter I have it says that it costs Wag £50k plus vat to hire the old Food Hall for the summer show alone and an additional £180k plus vat for stand build, graphics and dressing. In 2010 my info states a single fronted stand £355 plus vat and £405 plus vat for a corner stand. In 2011 prices I have show £600 plus vat which is £750 for a single fronted stand and £700 plus vat for a corner stand which is £875.

Every time I go into this new Food Hall, I cannot forget that this building was designed by a food expert, no doubt at huge cost, bearing in mind the bill was £1.6m, but on the plus side at least after the first shambolic opening in 2010, the stands are no longer in long straight runs, so it does work better and allows much easier traffic flow. But that is really my only plus point. Wag Food pay the RWAS £100k per year so that they have this building for the Royal and the Winter Fair, which is a lot of money to then fail to showcase the Best Of Welsh food – and of course that figure is only the start of the costs. For the old Food Hall, Wag paid £50k per year to RWAS, so a 50% increase is not a bad earner for the RWAS is it?

Farmers’ Market
The warm weather certainly played into the hands of the Farmers’ Market which had about 10 quality stands and wooden tables and benches so people could buy and eat and drink. It proved a popular area and I hope that it is a good four days trading for our producers.

HCC -Hybu Cig Cymru

Sorry guys, I’d forgotten I’d been invited to an HCC breakfast and press conference and listened to the HCC Chairman and the Deputy Food Minister each give an address, both delighted with the export sales they have achieved this year and that they had invited a party of Italians over in an effort to win our trade for that market. I just wished I’d had both those men with me at a Slow Food Movement lunch I was invited to last week. A lady who had recently moved to Wales complained to me that she struggled to find Welsh meat in her local supermarket and why was that considering all around her cottage she’s surrounded by sheep. I suggested she rang HCC, but there was no hope that would happen, she was just so annoyed that buying Welsh meat should be a challenge. So I gave her a copy of Welsh Country magazine – highlighted her nearest butchers and she was happy.

Over the years we’ve talked to HCC endlessly by phoning, hoping we could find a way to work together and obviously help our local butchers especially those already with us on Best Of Welsh & Borders listing, but also to help local butchers in their battle against the supermarkets. We’ve even had a meeting with them, which was not fruitful and we’ve talked regularly with their PR Agency, who did tell one of my team she ‘was too passionate about Welsh food’ – can you believe that? So there’s no point me mentioning this issue again with HCC because they don’t believe what I’m saying. So no progress there for, whilst they are busy bragging about their exports.

Stubbins Marketing and Puffin Produce both had stands there, generously giving away samples and encouraging people to buy in their local supermarket – great. So this raises my next question, what’s the point of the Royal Welsh Food Hall?

It appears to me that Wag focus the food hall to help promote Welsh food to the supermarkets. Indeed the Royal Welsh has to be the show where all the UK food buyers for the bigger supermarkets and wholesalers are all present. So it follows that the larger food producers should be in attendance and presenting their produce in the most professional manner. For these companies the restrictions of the food hall maybe isn’t quite right for their companies. Perhaps a corner stand isn’t big enough for them. They might want more space, they might want more raz ma taz and to be able to offer a little hospitality on their stand. On the other hand in the promotion from the Royal Welsh, it highlights the Food Hall as a fantastic place for the farmer’s wife and the family to go and find excellent Welsh food; it doesn’t say you’ll then struggle to eat it. This is a wonderful concept and should be applauded, but the two do not really go together. Indeed by putting the two together in my view spoil both sides of this coin. This hinders supplies to the supermarkets because the buyers are not treated with true VIP hospitality as they are at some speciality wholesale shows, but for the smaller producers selling to the general public, they are hindered with supposed restrictions on sales and not good facilities for the public to enjoy the food that they purchase. I do accept that some smaller producers do wish to go the supermarket route too but this is not difficult to sort out – simply ask them!!!! There must be a better way to make more out of what should be an amazing showcase for our artisan producers and they have never needed Wag’s support more to fight the recession and for many the supermarkets too, but if only they could get that support.

I do understand that it will not be easy answer, but please WAG bring your head out of the sand and face facts, actually engage with producers and just to be clear, I mean talk to them and then listen carefully to what they say – do realise that this will not be a simple task for you because many producers simply don’t trust you as civil servants, they don’t believe you have their best interests at heart in fact many don’t think you are interested ion tghem at all. But as some members of the food team can’t even say hello to producers at these types of events, you have a long hard road to climb, but it is of your own making.

Things can be improved to the benefit of all, to the reputation of Wales as a whole and more importantly for Welsh food to all sectors of society.

The speech made by the Deputy Food Minister at the HCC breakfast was very full, and from industry people I spoke to later in the day, their view was it was very full of hot air and Bet Fred could have taken good money on the number of times that the Deputy Minister said talk. Talking is good, but only good if it is linked with listening, that is why we have one mouth and two ears. It has been said by the Deputy Minister and others from the Welsh Food Department and its many institutional offshoots, that there is very little wrong and they hear very few complaints from food producers.

All businesses know that it is looking at the weaker areas of their business and it is by improving these areas that good businesses succeed and grow, i.e. by being self critical. May be we can all learn from one of the best and brightest business men to walk the planet – Bill Gates who once said “I am self-critical … I’m always searching for things I’m NOT perfect in.”

 
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Does The Urdd National Eisteddfod Support Welsh Food Producers?

08 Jun

Currently running near Caernarfon, The Urdd National Eisteddfod is being promoted as one of Europe’s largest cultural youth festivals. So why am I angry to the point of fury to learn that the ice cream sellers in attendance are not from Wales?

I do love my Welsh ice-cream, but that is not really what this is all about. I haven’t been to this event, but how can such a Welsh event appear to fail to support and promote its producers? My wrath is directed at all those involved in the organisation of this event and surely it is about time that any event held in Wales should be compelled to support Welsh food – end of story no further arguments allowed.

But that simply isn’t happening and if anyone knows how I /We get this changed let me know.

The wag don’t pay me to promote Welsh food, yet we, as taxpayers, pay their food department handsomely, as does Europe, to do just that - promote Welsh food. So why does it feel it’s just me gettting cross with this continued pathetic situation?  Marketing and promotion can never be classed as rocket science or brain surgery come to that, in my book it is plain common sense, but why does wag food department find it so difficult. Any food producer want to do a job swap with one of our food civil servants?

But back to the Urdd. With the dreadful wet and cold weather, I’m not that sure that ice-creams sales would be very high, but that cannot detract from the fact that as I understand it, there were no Welsh ice-cream guys there. But why not? There are Welsh ice-cream producers in north Wales and it totally puzzles me why they were not there in their mobile vans instead of the English ones.

My fury is also directed to any Welsh Ministers, Welsh officials and Civil Servants who visited The Urdd. Sure there must have been some of the wag (food) department there, surely? Because guess what else I’ve been told guys? Following on from where one Cornish ice-cream mobile van was parked, next door was the rather inconspicuous, easy-to-miss True Taste tent! Now before you say maybe our Welsh ice-cream traders might have been inside the TT tent, just think about it and as to how many parents would be able to drag their chiuldren away from the Cornish van in the hope that there might be a Welsh ice-cream trader inside the TT tent. That’s if we have got the message through to many people that they should be buying Welsh food. I have no idea how many TT traders were there inside the tent, because I haven’t had a Press Release from wag saying they were having a TT tent there. But let’s face it – that’s sadly no surprise to me now, rather par for the rocky course I’m one.

Wag does have a Promotion & Marketing budget, but tragically for our industry, agencies that are being very well paid for doing, in my view, a very poor job. But then I have to remind myself that I’m only a journalist with a strong interest in Welsh food. In fairness, perhaps wag haven’t told all their agencies with responsibility for Welsh food about Welsh Country magazine. Guess that could have happened as we’re only approaching our eighth birthday, so maybe it is a longer process than that for the messgae to get through -  if it was ever sent that is.  Still it doesn’t make sense to me, but wag appear unconcerned, as always it seems.

So did any of our ‘officials’ spot the English ice-cream vans and wonder where our Welsh ice-cream producers where? If not – why not?

I’m all for supporting the Welsh language, but only if the Welsh Government can genuinely support our Welsh food producers, not. Just paying lip-service to our producers and then so often waste the limited funds that are supposed to help our food industry survive and grow, is not acceptable.

I think it is a total disgrace and I hope those responsible take note and improve this whilst we still have a Welsh food industry.

 

 
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Welsh Food At The Smallholder Show

21 May

The only way I can start this post is to query, yet again, why this event has not got funding from wag again this year. In my research, I’ve established that this event has never been funded from the Food Festival budget, but from ‘Promoting Welsh Food’ – Budget Expenditure Line. From last year under the latest festival criteria rules, festivals have to have food as the core activity. Some years ago Steve Shearman, was asked by wag to run this event for them, but last year was then told that there would be no funding for the Smallholder. Further investigation uncovered how Smallholder had been funded. I asked how much had
been in the ‘Promoting Welsh Food’ – Budget Expenditure Line for 2008/9, 2009/10, 2010/11, who received funding from this budget over these three years and finally how this funding was allocated. I was told that my questions were so time consuming, it would cost wag over £600 to determine if they hold this information, to retrieve and extract it, so wag decided not to process my
questions.

Well that wasn’t useful, bearing in mind this is funding from a wag budget and I’m simply asking how it was spent. Can you really expect me to believe that wag are so sloppy that they don’t keep financial records of how they spend our money? Of course the RWS Show and the Winter Fair food halls are funded by wag and these two events obviously don’t have food as their core activity, but seemingly those two exceptions are allowed because wag are allowed to make their own rules
and keep the secret if they so wish.

In 2010, food hall hire for RWS was £65,403.32 and for the Winter Fair was £19,975.00. Event Build and Management Costs were £131,968.22 and £56,078.64 respectively. So these are not cheap events to put on but wag in its wisdom have decided to pull the plug again this year for Smallholder and in effect give out food producers another slap in the face. In the RWS especially you see large, large companies that are purely there for PR and can easily afford stands that are not subsidised by wag, whilst genuine micro and small producers simply cannot afford to take a stand at the RWS. But sadly wag appears not to care about this
quirk either.

Now I’ve reminded you of my background work, let me return to my visit there yesterday. Hardworking organiser Steve Shearman had no choice last year to substantially raise his stand prices and this has a huge knock on effect down the line, some traders couldn’t cope with the increase and didn’t attend, others had to take this hit and accept their overheads had rocketed. Thankfully all traders were aware that the tradestand price increase was down to an unsupportive wag, not to Steve.

I had many complaints from producers about the number of festivals they’d not been accepted for and the main culprits were: Abergavenny, Cardiff and Cowbridge. I know that these three are popular festivals and organisers know that they are in the fortunate position that they can pick and choose who they accept. But I do wish that applications gave producers full details and not say when they are rejected maybe they should have sent samples in because we don’t know you. I can tell you now that being a True Taste winner didn’t help this particular company! What I would also like some organisers to think about whilst they are in the position of playing God, that some of these companies rely on festivals and markets for their livelihood, not many of them have the back up of also being in super markets, they are simply too small to take this route. My final comment is that when producers have been loyal, supporting your event since it first started surely should count from something instead of being thrown out like last weeks rubbish.

There was a good mix of stands in the food hall, some superb produce available. It’s always a pleasure too to see so many of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers there too. Steve had put  tentage outside with tables and chairs so visitors could buy and eat their food in comfort, but I hated seeing people using this area for their own packed lunch. Yes I know they were saving money and I no times are tough, but I’m also sure they did not give the producers a thought. In their eyes it was just somewhere to sit and eat their picnic in comfort!!!!

I got very mixed reports, which is the normal, but I’m safe in saying that many traders were well down on last year and the year before. The recession isn’t helping anyone, but all those traders would have been far happier if wag had supported this event.

Try as I might I cannot understand why wag don’t fund the Smallholder. How can wag food appear to think that it’s not important to have a Welsh food presence at the Smallholder? If they do believe that’s true then I think some of them need reminding of which department they are working for.

Well done wag another own goal.

 
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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!!!

 
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What Does 2012 Hold for the Welsh Food Industry?

05 Jan

As we wait to hear, without holding our breath of course, to see what funding will be available for food festivals, and as to which of them will be favoured and which will fall by the wayside, I’m afraid my concern about our food industry has not disappeared. The more producers I talk to, the gloomier much of their feedback is. But whilst we still struggle to make Wag Food listen, I have a little ‘news’ to impart. I’ve been told that Wag has been asking some producers if they are interested in a wagProcessors & Producers Group being set up by Wag. Now where did they get this idea from – welshfoodbites perhaps? I’m not sure if this only applies to larger companies who are on Wags ‘favoured list’ and or those companies who have been lucky enough to receive a True Taste Award, or in many ways, even better, a grant from Wag. I’m sure it will be a selective list of companies, and if this is the case it will not be a fair representation of the Welsh food, but that is how Wag appears to work. It this does happen then maybe I will not be the only one who is dismayed to hear one of Wag’s latest plans……….

I have been asking and asking Wag to communicate with food producers and of course selfishly with the media press too – but this message has obviously been ignored, or maybe just because it was one of my ideas – it’s been dumped in their bin, which would be rather childish, wouldn’t it?

But let me take just a little comfort from the fact that some producers did get invited to the ‘surprise’ food festivals organisers meeting in November. But wasn’t it rude and unfair of Wag to then not give those that took precious time away from their businesses, not to give them the opportunity of airing their views. Just what was the point of that Wag, paying lip service to me?

I feel so sorry for the producers that these Civil Servants who should be a huge help to them, and never more so than in these difficult trading times, fail to understand what producer’s need and this is because those Civil Servants cannot be bothered to communicate with them. I suggested to one senior Food Civil Servant that it was their job as the food department, not only to talk to food producers of ALL sizes of businesses, but also to listen to their requirements. Not all of them want to go the supermarket route or believe the True Taste is their  way to go either, so we can only hope that in 2012, Wag Food will  understand this message and act upon it.

 
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Narbeth Food Festival

26 Sep

Gosh, I cannot remember visiting Narbeth food festival when they haven’t been blessed with beautiful sunny weather. Driving over to Pembrokeshire, scowling at the dark skies, I saw two AA signs and then a sign for the Park & Ride as I entered the town. So apart from the weather as the rain came down, it was a good start.

But as I wandered down the High Street, I was puzzled as to the lack of festival flyers or posters. Down one side of the street, I only saw the Wheatsheaf shop and then Andrew Rees the butchers, that had made any effort at all to use their windows to plug the festival. I was very put out about this as I have held Narbeth up for many years as a shining example of how the committee get the town on side to give the festival and the town itself a huge push and buzz over the festival weekend. To be fair in that weather I wasn’t going to trawl the town, but that was my view as I walked down.  Oh Narbeth, how dare you let me down? 

The rain coming so early on Saturday morning must have hit turnout considerably, it certainly doesn’t encourage locals or holiday makers to get out early. Saturday is always a much busier day than the Sunday so my worry as always is how busy the traders would be. I spent 2 -3 hours there and I thought numbers were much lower than usual, which was  backed up by many traders that I spoke to as well. Maybe the Sunday weather this year was better and trade was up.  I had a lot of Best Of Welsh & Borders producers there so it will be interesting to get their feedback later.  

The outside stands were of course struggling with the weather but not only that, they were battling too against the live music which was in the centre of their stands. Now I really don’t have any objections at all with having music to help provide a cheery atmosphere, and live music is certainly a bonus, but I cannot understand why ‘someone’ doesn’t use the volume control and turn it down a touch. I was trying to talk to one of the burger stands and we had to shout to make ourselves heard. How can traders ply their wares if they have to keep shouting at people?             

On the inside stands I was delighted to see butcher Andrew Rees doing good trade with a special 2011 Narbeth festival sausage made from Dexter beef with tomato, leek and ginger – they were delicious! Andrew was busy sampling the lovely sausages and that paid off with good sales resulting. I was given a programme when I entered, but the rain did not encourage you to browse it as you went around, so I think a white board or a sign board by the kitchen demo area would have been a huge help to let people know which chef was cooking and at what time.

I was told that a lady who wished to attend the festival was furious at being charged £3.00 toenter and wanted to know why. She couldn’t find an organiser, but was quite incensed at such a high charge when all she wanted to do was buy food. I must say I can see her point. You’re not charged to go into a shop and that was how she was viewing the event as one large food shop. She didn’t want to listen to music in the rain, watch children’s entertainment, or watch a cookery demo, her mission was to buy food, but the result was she didn’t go in. So how much trade was lost from her? I’ve talked to a few organisers who say an entrance fee is vital for them to balance their books and many do put on lots of entertainment. The Really Wild were a classic example of this, with plenty to do there, especially for the younger ones.  I’m sure this debate will continue, but I’d love to have more feedback on entrance fees.

Let me finish off this post by saying, yet again, that this is yet another funded festival that I didn’t have a single press release about. In past years Narbeth’s PR was done by Sarah Hoss who I thought did a great job. I got lots of information from her about what was going on, but she’s no longer there and I, as part of the Welsh media with a huge interest in food, wasn’t even sent a press release! Why was this?

Last year, Miller Research was tasked by Wag to do a food festival survey and a follow-up report and I know that all festivals received the Miller feedback. So I’d be furious if many festival reports were not highlighted and taken to task for a lack of signage and a lack of basic PR & Marketing, which includes press releases. So if I’m correct on this, why am I still reporting very few improvements at festivals that are still being funded? What was the point of spending all that money with Miller if ‘we’ can coast along this year without any real improvements being made at far too many festivals? It seems to me that something is still seriously wrong here.

It is the festival’s responsibility to get punters into the event of that there is no question or discussion. Then when the punters are there it’s the up to the traders to tempt visitors with their produce, not sit down looking bored! But if the organisers can’t get punters in, then you can rest assured that some traders will not be back next year, please do not forget that they are running businesses, not charities.  I understand that stands were being charged £150 for the two days with a £30.00 electric charge – not sure if my info. is correct or not, but with these charges, the traders really do have to see some decent trade.                  

 

 
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Our Rankings Are Still Rising – Thank You!

14 Apr

On 15th March I told you that welshfoodbites was ranked at 409,087; truetaste.tv was 1,919,717 whilst walesthetruetaste was 1,582,454. Well on 14th April welshfoodbites is ranked at 288,946 and truetaste.tv at 1,420, 705.  (Ranking source Alexa taken over a 3 month period)

So my thanks once again for your support on welshfoodbites. Ok, it is a lot of extra work for me, but it does prove we are doing something right. I’m not sure whether the Welsh Assembly Government, WAG, will get the message, maybe we’d best not hold our breath! 

Walesthetruetaste site has not been available since about 4th April, instead you’re re-directed to WAG’s site, I’m guessing this is whilst they revamp it. This site was initially going out to tender, but WAG decided to take this job in-house, in theory to save money, but could easily be to safe-guard some Civil Servant jobs. There’s no point in my asking more questions about this site as the WAG Food Press Office have refused to answer any of my questions.  

I’m not sure why any ‘expert’ computer boffin’ would take a site down whilst they re-jigged it, that doesn’t make much sense and can only continue to hit their rankings, and certainly doesn’t help the food industry.

 
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Where Is WAG’s Food Festival Listing?

29 Mar

The Welsh Assembly Government, (WAG) Food Press Office promised me a listing of the festivals they were supporting this year around the end of March. On 28th March I’d not received the listing, so I asked again. To then be informed that:

‘food festivals, organisers will be told direct and WAG will not be making any announcements because we will be in the pre-election period. Further information about the process is available on the True Taste website’.

I understood that the pre-election period doesn’t start until 1st April, but on checking with Cardiff I was told offical closure date is Wednesday 30th March. The Press Office had already promised me this information when we all knew the date of the election, so why can’t they release this promised information to me? I went back to the Press Office with these questions, but was informed I wouldn’t get any further answers because:

‘The press office is not prepared to get involved in a lengthy discussion which you will inevitably then blog’.

Well that wasn’t helpful was it? 

Food festivals and what is happening with them this year, has been the most talked-about topic. From phone calls into our office, emails and face-to-face chats when we are at a food event, it has been constant. You can see for yourself how much discussion the posts about food festivals have generated on welshfoodbites.  

I’m still getting Press Releases from various departments in the Welsh Assembly Government, (WAG), so it appears to me that WAG Food either have the luxury of making their own decisions, or simply don’t want our producers and readers to know what is happening with food festivals this year. What do you think?

 
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Our Rankings Rise – Again Thanks To You

18 Feb

Gosh you have all been very busy visiting welshfoodbites and it really is appreciated. As of 18/2 welshfoodbites was 627,015 compared to truetaste.tv at 2,070,854 and walesthetruetaste at 1,661,858   (Source Alexa taken over a 3 month period)

How good is that against two WAG funded sites?  

(Source Alexa taken over a 3 month period)

Isn’t that great news?

Here at Welsh Country, the team and I really appreciate your support, your suggestions and your queries. I think most of you know that we’ll do whatever we can to help if you have specific issues or worries about the Welsh food industry, but after reading posts on welshfoodbites, you’ll know how difficult it is for us to get answers.

 
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Food Festival Meeting 8th Feb

15 Feb

On 8th February I asked WAG Food, Welsh Assembly Government, Press Office as I’d been instructed to do, for the notes and presentation details from the Food Festival Organisers meeting being held that day in Aberystwyth. I’d been told that the meeting was to deliver an interim evaluation report as new criteria are being developed for food festival support. I asked what were the organisers told about future funding and what’s the future for festivals this year? I also did as I’d been asked and gave them a deadline of Friday 11th February, 4.00pm  

This was all basic information that our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers and our readers want to know and I had planned for a piece to go in our M/April issue. However my deadline came and went with nothing from WAG Press Office. I chased them again and received the following email:

WAG Press Office stated on Friday 17.20: “Sorry to have missed your deadline, it has been a busy day here and I have been working to get it to you. I will do what I can to get something soon”.

Then at 18.03 a WAG Food, Duty Press Officer stated:  ”At a recent meeting, festival organisers were consulted on this year’s grant application process and the results of research into food festivals. More information for festival organisers will be made available directly to them on Monday. ”

I’ve obviously been very lucky in my journalistic life, as I’ve not had any Press Office fail to hit a deadline for me. WAG Food Press Office also appear to have forgotten that in their role, communication is the key. To be told they are so busy, makes me feel totally unimportant. From their side it’s ok for them not only to miss my deadline, but also unprofessional when they’re obviously too busy to tell me…………

Welsh Country magazine hits the printers next week, but far be it for me to complain about being busy!!!  I know the Press Office are a small team, but don’t give me that as an excuse – so is the Welsh Country team.     

No-one contacted me on Monday – I chased them again today, Tuesday and have given them a 12.00 deadline for more news but again this has been missed – another busy day in the WAG Food Press office do you think?

 
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