Cwmfarm Charcuterie clinches export deals
Husband-and-wife team Ruth and Andrew Davies, who began rearing pigs on their 20-acre farm in 2010 to sell sausages and burgers from a catering trailer, went on to diversify their business.
Cwmfarm Charcuterie has participated in trade missions across the Atlantic and has served its product range to Prime Minister Theresa May and her guests at a St David’s Day reception in Downing Street.
Since then, the company’s order books have grown to include British embassies and consulates in locations such as Belgium, Finland and The Netherlands, backed by the Department for International Trade (DIT).
Staff recruitment
The impact on dignitaries is now translating into business success. The company has announced it is set to hire more staff to cope with increasing demand for products from supermarkets across Canada, Hong Kong and in Shanghai.
The news comes amid confirmation that exports of food and drink products from Wales nearly tripled to reach £495.43m in 2018, up 187.2% from 2008 when they were worth just £172.5m.
The Welsh food and drink industry chalks up £4.8bn in annual sales. According to Food and Drink Federation Cymru, the sector employs more than 22,000 people working in more than 500 companies and is on course to increase turnover by 30% in 2020.
Cwmfarm Charcuterie is featuring at the 100th Royal Welsh Show, which is running from 22 July to 25 July in Llanelwedd.
Exports
“Attending very exciting trade missions to boost exports across the Atlantic has been a perfect stepping stone to meeting new contacts and has given us the opportunity to meet key buyers overseas,” said Ruth Davies, co-owner of Cwmfarm Charcuterie.
“We have had exciting leads and orders that will generate extra business and showcase our products across the world. We are now looking at bigger premises with extra staff to take these orders further, so it is an exciting time for Cwmfarm Charcuterie.
“We’ll also be launching a new salami with a touch of orange zest and rhubarb and ginger gin at this year’s show.”
Sue Bishop, director of the food and drink sector at the Department for International Trade, said: “It’s great to see innovative businesses like Cwmfarm Charcuterie taking advantage of the rising global demand for Welsh food and drink.
“The Department for International Trade is committed to helping companies from Wales and the rest of the UK to sell overseas, so I encourage food and drink businesses to visit the UK Government stand at the Royal Welsh Show to find out how we can support them on every step of their export journey.”
Micro and SME businesses
Andrew Pyne, director of Food and Drink Federation Cymru, said: “The food and drink industry in Wales is a thriving success story, with projected growth set to exceed expectations. The micro and SME businesses that dominate the Welsh food and drink industry showcase the innovation and passion that is driving this growth, which includes exports worth £500m.
Cwmfarm Charcuterie’s success was announced against a backdrop of growing fears over the damage a ‘no-deal’ Brexit could do to UK meat exports.
Meanwhile, former Wales and Lions rugby captain Sam Warburton has teamed up with Welsh bakery Brace’s, to create his own selection of high protein products – ‘Sam’s Sport Active’. The products were launched at the Royal Welsh Show and are expected to exclusively hit Tesco shelves from September.
The range consists of two 800g loaves of bread – ‘High Protein White’ and ‘High Protein Prograin’ – and a twin-pack of Welsh cakes – ‘Sam’s Wheels’. It is aimed at sports enthusiasts seeking a nutritious diet to sustain an active lifestyle.
“We’ve been distributing our products for over 100 years now and are well aware of the need to remain reactive to consumer trends and what’s popular,” said Brace’s director Jonathan Brace.
Protein in diets
“We know more and more people are looking to increase the amount of protein in their diets and so it’s important we offer products that meet the needs of the ever-increasing health-conscious shopper.
“There was no way we could pass up the opportunity to work with such a huge name when he came to us with his idea.”
Brace’s delivers to over 3,000 stores daily, from supermarkets to corner shops, direct from its bakeries in Croespenmaen and Pen Y Fan in South Wales. It has depots in Caple Hende near Ammonford and Dursley in Gloucestershire.
- Has your company achieved strong growth in exports, or any other initiative? Enter the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards for free now! But hurry - time is running out. The entry deadline is 29 July.
