Welsh food producers are innovating to pull through the Covid-19 crisis, with a seafood firm one of those seeing local business increase amid the pandemic.
Cadwyn Ogwen has been set up by local social enterprise Partneriaeth Ogwen and helps 10 food producers in the valley distribute their produce.
It was highlighted by Plaid Cymru as an example to follow in their ‘I’m buying local’ campaign which encourages party members, supporters and the wider public to buy more locally produced food and drink.
Menai Seafood Company is one of the businesses that’s part of the scheme.
The company started back in 2015 and employs four people. They started processing mussels in Llanfaethlu before expanding and diversifying into other shellfish and eventually fish.
They’re supplied by fishermen in Gwynedd and Môn.
Mark Gray, one of its directors, wanted to improve the local food economy and teaming up with other food producers under the umbrella of Cadwyn Ogwen made a lot of sense.
That’s not just because the pandemic and subsequent lockdown has exposed the fragility of the food supply chain but also that a foundational economy needs resilience and to be rooted in the community.
Most Read
The lockdown has wiped out many of the traditional export markets for local fishermen – for example 100% of Welsh whelks used to be exported to South Korea. So having a local food processor able to distribute produce in the community has been a much-appreciated bonus for the fishing community.
The company has also increased its use of locally caught white fish such as pollack and coley, having previously relied on the (now closed) market in Whitby for much of its cod and haddock.
Mark says the business has doubled since the lockdown because people want to support the local economy and local producers but also says supermarkets closing their fish counters has helped.
He added: “The change in shopping habits due to the pandemic may also mean a change in the way we look on our local foods.”
He’s working with Patneriaeth Ogwen to produce videos that will inform people about how to prepare and cook local shellfish, such as crabs and lobsters – adding that people are having to regain cooking skills.
The business currently supplies and processes a range of local seafood from a commercial kitchen in Bethesda and operates a drop-off system in various parts of Gwynedd and Môn but is also aiming to open a retail unit at Porth Penrhyn that will greatly increase storage, flexibility and capacity later in the year.
Plaid Cymru’s shadow rural affairs minister Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “The Welsh food and drink industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The sudden closure of restaurants and coffee shops and the loss of export markets saw many Welsh farmers lose their markets overnight. So it’s really inspiring to see people turn to local suppliers and producers as the food chain has struggled to cope.
Don’t miss
“Wales has a good story to tell in terms of its food quality and perhaps this crisis is the opportunity to make sure more people know about it.”
Meleri Davies, of Partneriaeth Ogwen, said Cadwyn Ogwen was set up as a direct response to the pandemic and to help local food producers.
She said: “We’re currently delivering about £1,000 of products every week and that’s done with our electric community car, Carwen, which is powered by renewable energy produced by PV panels through another of our enterprises, Ynni Ogwen.
“It’s currently funded through a grant but we also take a modest 10% commission that helps pay for the service. In the longer term Cadwyn will need to be self-financing and that’s part of our ambition to improve the local economy.”