Producers and providers join forces at Mid Wales Food and Drink event

Ways to give food-loving visitors the best possible experience will be on the menu at a forthcoming event for tourism and hospitality businesses in Mid Wales.

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Open to tourism enterprises and hospitality providers across the region, the free event will give them the opportunity to meet local food and drink producers as part of a drive to increase the amount of Welsh produce offered to visitors.

To be held at Corris Craft Centre near Machynlleth on November 13, the Meet The Producer Event has been organised by Cywain and MWT (Mid Wales Tourism) Cymru.

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Running from 10am to 2pm, the event will include sampling of some of Mid Wales’ finest produce and chatting with producers and food experts while enjoying a ‘local produce lunch’.

There will also be tasting sessions and demonstrations – including hamper-making – a talk and tour by Dyfi Distillery, a chocolate making workshop by Chocablock and tips on making hot festive drinks for guests by Food Skils Cymru.

Among the producers and organisations attending are: Mrs L’s Kitchen, Teifi Coffee, Shire Meadery, Hilltop Honey Ltd, Dyfi Distillery, Merlin Cheeses, Neuadd Fach Baconry, Positive Potions, Dwyfor Coffee, Pendragon Drinks, Cariad Bakery, Maggie’s Exotic Foods, Treddafydd Organic, Morgans Brew, Pantri Swswen, Wild Trail, Mug Run Coffee Roasting and Welsh Gluten Free Bakery Products.

“This is a great opportunity for tourism and hospitality businesses to develop ideas and incorporate local produce into their activities,” says Lowri Edwards of Cywain – a Menter a Busnes delivered project that supports the development of growth orientated businesses in the food and drink sector in Wales.

“Visitors are increasingly looking to try and buy Welsh produce and events such as this enable local producers and tourism and hospitality businesses to join forces in attracting tourists to this wonderful part of Wales.”

The drive to increase the amount of local food and drink on offer is backed up by research from a Welsh Government Food & Drink Wales consumer survey – the ‘Value of Welshness’.

The data collected shows 75% of UK consumers perceive Welsh produce as being of high quality, with 80% of consumers preferring to buy Welsh produce. Importantly, for those producing and selling food and drink, nearly half (44%) of those surveyed said they are willing to pay more for Welsh produce.

Val Hawkins, chief executive of  MWT Cymru, said:

“Highlighting and using local produce is a win-win situation for tourism and hospitality businesses. By having the opportunity to try local food and drink, visitors and guests experience the ‘Real Mid Wales’ and help to promote the local ‘sense of place’.

“We encourage MWT member businesses to work with local food and drink producers – for example they could offer hampers with local produce for their guests to purchase – and really make the most of the quality and diversity of food and drink that is produced around them.”