Driving Growth at Blas Cymru / Taste Wales 2025

Driving Growth at Blas Cymru / Taste Wales 2025

Blas Cymru / Taste Wales 2025 brought together more than 150 Welsh food and drink producers, 3,000 products and hundreds of UK and international buyers. With millions in confirmed sales, the event has once again demonstrated its value as a commercial platform for Welsh businesses. Host Gemma Casey is joined by Philippa Galway, Founder of Flavour Moments, Kit Newell, Founder of Hivemind Mead and Neil Burchell and Julie Mills, mentors with the Food and Drink Wales Trade Development Programme, to discuss the event’s impact.

Building a Sustainable Future for Welsh Food and Drink

Welsh Government has a vision to make Wales one of the most environmentally and socially responsible food and drink supply chains in the world. In Wales Climate Week, host Gemma Casey is joined by Mark Grant of Levercliff, Linda Grant of BIC Innovation and Scott James, Founder of Coaltown Coffee to discuss what sustainability really means in practice for food and drink producers, how businesses can begin or accelerate their journey, and the range of support available.

Taking Welsh Food and Drink Global

The food and drink export market for Welsh produce is worth around £850 million a year. With many businesses already seeing benefits from taking part in trade visits and events facilitated by Welsh Government, as well as other support, host Gemma Casey is joined by Rhys Llywelyn who manages the Welsh Government Food and Drink Export Cluster, Jack Davies of Hilltop, Anita Richards of Rachel’s Organic and Stuart McNally of Calon Wen Organic to discuss the scale of the opportunity.

Recruitment and Retention in Food and Drink Manufacturing

Recruitment and retention remain among the key challenges facing the food and drink manufacturing sector. Host Carwyn Jones is joined by Terry Fennell of FDQ, Ellen Wakelam of In the Welsh Wind Distillery and Nia Griffith of Food & Drink Skills Wales to consider the role apprenticeships, traineeships and upskilling play in recruitment and retention and whether the sector’s image is stopping talent seeing it as a viable career option.

Addressing Skills Shortages in the Food and Drink Industry

What skills does the food and drink manufacturing sector in Wales need to nurture to continue to thrive? Host Carwyn Jones is joined by Kate Rees of Food & Drink Skills Wales, Chris Butler of Radnor Hills, and Sarah Drummond of Drop Bear to consider the main skills challenges facing the sector and opportunities to upskill the current and future workforce, whilst highlighting the emerging trends and innovative approaches by businesses in developing and advancing their employees.