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Posts Tagged ‘Welsh Government’

Food Festival Funding

11 May

The wait continues for sight of wag’s list of food festival that they are funding. This was promised w/c 19th March.

I have heard from various festivals, sadly they are not all happy about how they have been funded and treated by wag, but some seemingly have received more than they asked for. Guess that makes sense to someone, somewhere……………….

I have submitted a Freedom Of Information question on food festival funding and have been promised a reply by 16th May.

I was pleased to receive a press releases this morning from Caerphilly County Borough Council who have been awarded £10,000 from the Welsh Government Food Festival Funding for their festival at the end of this month.

I’m sure many of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers will be attneding and I hope it’s a busy festival for you all.

 
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Wag’s Help Food Festivals Flourish???

16 Apr

You will be aware of how much time and effort I have spent trying to get the food festival funding list from Wag. So I had to take care with the heading for this one, just in case I got you too excited. So let me warn you now, excitement will not be a problem, frustration and annoyance surely will. Follows is a Press Release from wag, shown in full with no editing from me, received this afternoon:

16 April 

Welsh Government Helps Food And Drink Festivals To Flourish

Food and drink festivals all over Wales are to be offered a share of a £339,280 pot in support from the Welsh
Government. The 33 festivals, large and small, feature a wide range of products and producers- among them many of the Wales the True Taste Food and Drink Awards winners.

Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries said: “Food festivals play an important role in attracting visitors and providing a showcase for producers. The Welsh Government is committed to continuing to support the Welsh food industry and strengthening its culture. Welsh food and drink remains one of our popular tourist attractions, and also plays a vital part in the Welsh economy.”

“ I am delighted that once again we are able to help a number of these events.”

During 2012 the festivals will collectively receive £339,280 in assistance, marking Wales’ reputation as a producer of high quality and diverse food and drink.

Well dear readers, you might well ask me what festivals are running this year and how much are the favoured 33 festivals are to receive. Sorry but that information was not included or attached. So I have emailed the contact I was given to get those answers but I was emailed by return saying my contact was away until 1st May – brilliant! Next option was to try another contact and have got a reply. I’ve been told that wag have made offers to the fesitvals and when they have been accepted, wag will then publish this list on their website.

Now isn’t that helpful? Well actualy no, because once again I have no idea when this will happen. Is wag’s aim that I go onto their website on a daily basis to help their rankings improve? Hmmmm, think I’ve got better things to do than that……….

Some food festival organisers are not very happy, and I a sure wag will not be the slightest perturned on that one, but we are still getting too many calls in from festivals that haven’t got as much as they need and are now having committee meetings to see if their festival can actually go ahead. It’s not a good state of affairs and not a system that has proved workable. Wonder how much the big three have been reduced, but in reality we’ll not be told how much they applied for unless I do yet another FOI question.

Which maybe is the quickest way to sort this out once and for all.

I’ve ‘asked’ wag for the initial offer list which will be quite useful to compare year on year, but if and when that might arrive, is anyone’s guess, bearing in mind we are working in wag-time. So once more, please don’t hold your breath.

 
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Deputy Minister Appoints New Members To HCC Board

15 Mar

Follows is a Press Release received this morning from the Welsh Government.

Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Alun Davies, has today announced the appointment of four new members to the board of Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC). The Deputy Minister has appointed Mr Prys Morgan to represent the processing sector, Mr Richard Rogers and Mr Richard Tudor to represent the producer sector and Mr Gwynn Angell Jones as an independent member.

In addition, The Deputy Minister has invited seven of the existing HCC Board members to remain on the Board for a further term (of three years).  All seven have accepted their re-appointment from 01 April 2012.

To ensure the HCC Board has a continually developing membership, members are replaced on an ongoing basis. This policy seeks to strike a balance between experience and continuity and the need to replenish the HCC Board with new members who can add to the expertise of the Board. Approximately 30% of Board members are replaced every three years, to ensure a continually developing membership as well as ensuring business continuity is maintained.

Announcing the appointments, the Deputy Minister said: “I am delighted to appoint the four new members to the board of HCC. I am sure their expertise will contribute greatly to the already excellent work that HCC is doing to promote Welsh meat both at home and abroad.”

HCC Chairman Dai Davies said: “I look forward to welcoming the four new Board members to the team, and I am confident that they will help guide the development and promotion of the Welsh red meat industry to even greater heights in the future.”

Gwynn Angell Jones lives in Y Felinheli, Caernarfon and founded his company, GwynnAngell and Associates, in 1998. He undertakes consultancy roles across a range of business and charitable sectors.

He worked with the Wales Tourist Board for 10 years in Machynlleth and Swansea before becoming the first head of operations for Inter Hotels UK, tasked with restructuring a worldwide marketing and purchasing consortium. He later joined Hamdden Ltd as Managing Director before moving to run Cardiff (university) Union Services.

Mr Jones worked as Director for Wales of Ontrac Marketing, and later became the first head of marketing and supporter development for the National Trust in Wales. He has served on the Wales Government Ministerial advisory committee on tourism matters and the Wales Government Ministerial advisory committee on food strategy. He was chair of the Phab Wales charity for eight years and currently runs a charity raising funds for a hospital in Jowai in North East India.

Prys Morgan is the Sheep Procurement Controller with  VION Food Group, responsible for purchasing lambs for the company’s red meat business unit throughout Britain. The company supplies major retailers both in the UK and abroad.

Mr Morgan works closely with all elements of the red meat industry to help improve efficiency and to meet the specific requirements of their customers. He has a joint honours degree in Agriculture and Bio-chemistry, and an MSc in Rural Resource Management from Bangor University. Mr Morgan previously worked for the Meat and Livestock Commission as Industry Development Manager until 2003, when he took up the same role with the newly-formed HCC until 2008. 

Richard Rogers farms Anglesey in partnership with his parents. The farm comprises of 1,700 head of breeding ewes and 300 head of beef cattle, and is involved in numerous projects including being a Farming Connect Demonstration Farm.

Richard is an active member of the Anglesey Grassland Society and of the National Farmers Union and is a company director involved in the development of a number of renewable energy projects.

Richard Tudor farms a 700 acre upland beef and sheep farm at Llysun, Llanerfyl. The farm has a 1500 strong Mule, Texel and Aberdale flock producing lambs for Waitrose. The 140 Saler and Simmental suckler herd produce young store bulls and finished cattle. He places great emphasis on meat production from grass.

This PR has also been sent out directly to our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers

 
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Latest News On Government Support For Welsh Food Festivals

01 Feb

I thought you might be interested to read this Welsh Government Press Release, which was received yesterday and I’ve  copied from welshcountry.co.uk as I’m sure it will be of interest not only to our Best Of  Welsh & Borders producers, but all local food lovers. 

Welsh food festivals are being invited to apply for grant funding from the Welsh Government.

 Each year food festivals in Wales contribute millions of pounds to the economy by attracting visitors from across Wales and beyond and provide an important platform for producers looking to increase sales in an ever more competitive marketplace.

Around 40-50 festivals receive support each year from the Food Festival Grant programme, which is funded by the Welsh Government. In 2010/11 some 49 festivals received grant support.

 Alun Davies, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries said, “Each year food festivals in Wales contribute millions of pounds to the economy and are a key element in promoting Wales’ burgeoning food culture and giving visitors a ‘sense of place’.

“Large or small, they have their own distinct character, but with one common thread – to bring to the public’s attention the fantastic array of food and drink produced in Wales.”

 The findings of a two-year evaluation of food festivals supported by the Welsh Government, and conducted by Miller Research, show they attracted approximately 650,000 consumers with an average spend per head by festival visitors of £20.

This equates to £7m in direct spend with an estimated additional spend in host communities of £42 million over two years and implies additional sales directly relating to festivals in the region of almost £50million over a two-year period.

Approximately 500 producers – many of them Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Award winners – attended the supported festivals in 2010/11, reporting an average of 32% of their annual sales made as a result of attending festivals.

Applications will be reviewed by a team consisting of representatives from the Welsh Government’s Food and Market Development Division and Visit Wales, with each application considered on individual merit and in light of available funding. Following consultation with the Food and Farming Panel the outcomes will be issued the week commencing March 19th.

This year there have been a number of major changes to the food festivals funding criteria, which has been tightened due to budgetary constraints and an increased number of applicants. Applicants must now submit a business plan and accounts as part of the application process, and all events supported must have food activity as its core. The closing date for applications is February 17th, 2012. The appraisal process will also look a number of other elements, including: the promotion of Welsh food culture, the benefit of the festival to the local community, the local economic benefit, and how the event meets to aims and objectives of the Food Strategy for Wales).

I’m sure that regular readers will not be surprised that I disagree with quite a lot that has been stated in this press release. But at least I’m pleased to have received it! I was just about to send a Freedom Of Information question through to find out when I’m likely to be told which festivals are running and who has taken the lion’s share of yet another reduced food festival budget this year.

I have sent quite a number of questions through to the Welsh Government (Food) Press Office and had notification that my questions have been passed on and will be answered shortly. Bearing in mind that I’m now completing pages for our March/April issue, I’m unsure whether I shall receive a response quickly enough to raise the issues I have with this PR in Welsh Country magazine.

But rest assured I’ll update on welshfoodbites in due course.

 

 
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Fobbed Off Following Freedom Of Information Request About True Taste

18 Jan

In October I requested the following information:

1. There were 1017 entries for True Taste Awards 2011. I require a breakdown of number of entries per county.

2. Would you also provide a number of entries True Taste Awards for 2010 and a breakdown of entries per county.”

On 9th November I received this response from Wag Food:

I have not found any information that fits this description. If you send me further details of the information you want I will look again.

Since that response, I have pursued this matter, until finally, just before Christmas was told that:

the information I requested is not held by the Welsh Government.

Before more of you get hot under the collar, let me clarify. Wag appointed a company to run much of True Taste on their behalf and according to the Wag it is this company that have the information I have asked for. But despite the fact that the WG appointed this company and then pay this company, the Wag say they haven’t got the info I have asked for and patiently waited for.

Entrants to True Taste are asked to enter online and then Wag’s company holds this information on their database. I’m told by Wag that this information is only used to communicate with entrants about the awards and the ceremony.

Obviously I’m being fobbed off, but what we ought to be asking is why?

I’d love to get feedback from you on this one.

 
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‘Bah Humbug’ From HCC – Hybu Cig Cymru

09 Jan

I’ve just finished talking to a butcher and of course we were putting ‘the Welsh food world to rights’ as you do, but I was astonished to hear that HCC, Hybu Cig Cymru, had not arranged any Christmas promotions for the individual butchers that are working hard, against the supermarkets, to supply local people with local Welsh meat. As I write this I’m furious that this has happened and wished I’m known about this well before Christmas so I could have rattled some cages, before this marketing opportunity had been lost for ever.  

Although the Welsh Government appears to ‘think’ I know little about the Welsh food industry, I do know the media, and I do know about PR & Marketing. Plus you don’t have to be the ‘Brain of Wales’ to know that Christmas time is a peak sales opportunity to sell meat! So if we agree on this, then what were HCC doing ignoring this peak promotion period?

In case you are not aware of HCC:       

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) is the organisation responsible for the development, promotion and marketing of Welsh red meat. We work with all sectors of the Welsh red meat industry – from the farmers through to the retailers, to develop the industry itself as well as develop profitable markets for Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef.

HCC is of course funded by Wag and comes under Wag (Food) portfolio.

This latest instance shows that although HCC are charged with promoting and marketing Welsh red meat, it appears that individual butchers are, for some reason, not a priority. But why not? Even HCC, cocooned in their large, posh glass office, must realise that local butchers are struggling to survive. But as the strangle hold of supermarkets gets even tighter, what do HCC do to help – a big fat nothing.   

So come on HCC, explain your ‘Bah Humbug’ attitude to the local butchers, including our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers that you are paid to help……………………………..

 

 
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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?

 
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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.   

 

 
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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?          

 

 
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Fish Distribution In Wales

17 Nov

Get a few food producers together and I guarantee that before long the problem of food distribution will raise its ugly head. This situation has been an ongoing problem for years and it is not going away.

I did want to share this with you though and that’s the distribution, or rather lack of it, on fish. How do you get fish from Anglesey to Cardiff and south Wales? Sorry, but no prizes if any of you got the correct answer – via Grimsby. Yes Grimsby!

Continuing the fish tale, were you aware that the cost per fish being delivered into London is 20p, but delivering into south Wales costs £1.00 per fish. That’s one heck of a difference isn’t? 

Bearing in mind our Welsh coastline is huge, why is Wales allowing our fishing fleet to disappear? Doesn’t anyone in government care? I’m often asked by restaurants, pubs and cafes why they  struggle to get fresh Welsh fish and it’s obvious distribution is the major problem, along with silly European laws which continues to strangle our fishing industry.

This is yet another instance of Wales do very little whilst our fishermen flounder……………..

 
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