Category: News

Welsh Cake revolution takes on Bakewell Tart at baking festival

Jennie Barrie and Jo Wordsworth, proprietors at Cwmni Cacen Gri in Betwys y Coed

A company that’s revolutionised the traditional Welsh Cake and attracted a host of celebrity fans has been signed up for the UK’s first major baking festival.

Organisers at Bakewell Baking Festival – billed as the “spiritual home of baking” and home of the famous Bakewell Pudding and Bakewell Tart – wanted the very best Welsh Cakes and invited Cwmni Cacen Gri from Betws y Coed to show off their skills.

They hit the headlines after it was revealed that pop stars Olly Murs and Pixie Lott were fans – not to mention Wales’s favourite weatherman, Derek Brockway.

Last year Ann Romney, wife of the unsuccessful Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, harked back to her Welsh roots and extolled their virtues to anyone who would listen on the campaign trail.

Partners and best friends Jennie Barrie and Jo Wordsworth will be giving demonstrations and talking about how they started their successful business at the two day Derbyshire festival on June 8-9.

Jennie said: “I think they Googled us and saw a clip of us on TV and we’ve just been swept along.

“The festival director is Welsh and he rang us and looked at what we have and must have thought we were a bit of a double act.

“The Beehive Baker Stacie Stewart who won Master Chef in 2010 and Edd Kimber, first ever winner of the Great British Bake Off in 2010 will also be there.”

Cwmni Cacen Gri has revolutionised the traditional griddled Welsh Cake tea time treat, by including varieties which include some exotic flavours such as raspberry and white chocolate, triple chocolate, chocolate and orange, chocolate and mint, cinnamon, orange and lemon, lime and coconut and Penderyn Welsh whisky and sultana.

“We’ve just provided the Welsh cakes and bara brith for the Snowdonia Half Marathon,” said Jennie.

She and Jo have also picked up entrepreneur of the year award at Conwy Rural Awards and were new business finalists in Network She awards.

Jennie added: “Conwy Rural Business Support has been wholly supportive and backed us all the way. They have been especially effective in getting publicity for our business.”

“The Bakewell Festival is something we are really looking forward to. They want to hear from us about our business and how it started and how we got to where we are,” said Jo.

“We’ll be doing a workshop to demonstrate how we make Welsh cakes.”

And Cwmni Cacen Gri were one of 35 regional finalists – out of the 1,000 UK bakeries -which tried to get a place on ITV’s popular daytime TV competition, Britain’s Best Bakery.

Jennie and Jo, who both have two children, had grandparents and parents who were in business in Betws y Coed and knew each other as pupils in Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy at Llanrwst. Jo trained as a nurse at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and for 13 years was practice nurse at Betws y Coed surgery, while Jennie worked in the Middle East for five years as a PA in a drilling company. She returned and worked for Citizens Advice Bureau, before she and Jo teamed up to start their new business.

Bakewell Baking Festival is the brainchild of the town’s Mayor Paul Morgan and his partner Janet Reeder.

Paul said: “I am from Wales, I lived just outside Builth Wells and I was determined to have Welsh cakes at the festival because I had grown up with Welsh Cakes as a kid.

“I looked Welsh cakes up on the internet and came across an article which suggested they were going out of fashion – which I’m sure is something Jo and Jennie would not agree with!

“I started looking around Cardiff and then worked my way up north and then came across Jennie and Jo and Cacen Gri and I remembered seeing something of the ITV programme Britain’s Best Bakery.

“We have been quite selective for our exhibitors for the two day show because we did not want everyone selling cupcakes.

“We will be attracting the BBC Good Food Guide, Olive magazine, food and travel publications, Cheshire and Derbyshire Life magazines, local TV and radio.

“This is our first ever festival and as far as I know I don’t think there is another baking festival in the UK

“Baking is something of a phenomenon at the moment and the second episode of the Great British Bake-Off was at Bakewell.

“Jennie and Jo are great fun and we do not want them to come and just make Welsh cakes but we would like them to talk about their story, which is fascinating.

Anna Openshaw, the Project Officer for Conwy Rural Business Support, is delighted by the success of the Cacen Gri company.

She said: “We’re thrilled that they will be flying the flag for Wales in general and Conwy in particular at the Bakewell Baking festival.

“Jennie and Jo are perfect role models of how to take a great idea and turn it into a fantastic business success.”

For more information about the support and advice that’s available to small businesses in rural Conwy go to www.econwyrural.co.uk or contact Anna Openshaw either by emailing conwyruralpartnership@conwy.gov.uk
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. You can also ring 01492 577834/5. If you want more information about Cwmni Cacen Gri visit  www.cwmnicacengri.co.uk and for more
about the festival visit www.bakewellbakingfestival.co.uk

Monday May 20th, 2013

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Cancer charity counts on fab five

Members of staff at MD Coxeys in Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, from left, Helen Mort, Rhian Williams, Susan Barkley, Ellen Plack and Jenette Jones - who are taking part in the Wrexham Race for Life in Alyn Waters Country Park on Sunday, June 2.

A group of fleet-footed females from a firm of chartered accountants are calculating how much they are likely to raise for a cancer charity.

The fab five, who all work for Coxey’s who have offices in Wrexham and Saltney, will be taking part in a big sponsored run early next month.

They are donning their running shoes to take part in the popular Wrexham Race for Life, which will see hundreds of pink-clad women dashing around a five kilometre course at Alyn Waters Country Park in Llay on Sunday, June 2.

It is one of a series of similar events held annually across the country to raise much-needed cash for the charity Cancer Research UK.

Spearheading Team Coxeys will be 31-year-old Helen Mort, of Wrexham ,who has worked at the firm for the past nine years and heads up their  Business Essentials book-keeping business.

Joining her will be her deputy in the department, Susan Barkley, of Mold, who has been at Coxeys for five-and-a-half years, qualified accountants Rhian Williams, who has worked for the firm for nine years, and Ellen Plack, who has been at Coxeys for 15 months, along with accounts practitioner Janette Jones, who has been with the company for 16 months, from Wrexham.

All are Race for Life first timers, apart from Helen who is a veteran of two previous events in which she raised decent amounts for Cancer Research UK and Janette who has done the Alyn Waters event previously.

But, despite her previous experience, Helen admits that she comes to the June race with a little trepidation as on her last outing, the Flintshire 10K in 2011, she had to finish the event early after injuring her ankle.

She recalled: “I was about 3k into the race when I fell and hurt my ankle, which meant I had to give up early. It was very unfortunate, so I’m hoping this time I can last the course at Alyn Waters.

“The majority of the girls have never done Race for Life before but I took part in the 2007 event in Rhyl and the 2009 race in Chester. I’ll never forget that one because I went around the course wheeling a pram with my daughter Chloe.

“She is now five but was only a baby at the time. Even so, she had her own entry number which was stuck to the side of her pram.”

Helen added: “The five of us from Coxeys wanted to do the Race for Life next month because it is in aid of such a worthwhile charity.

“I think everyone knows someone whose life has been touched in some way by cancer and wants to do something to help.

“The thing with the Wrexham Race for Life is that it’s only 5k, which means it doesn’t need a really high level of fitness. You can choose to run or walk the course and I believe some women have even danced around it in the past.

“Our aim is complete the course, and with our combined ages totaling 200, I think it will be a combination of walking, jogging and dancing over the finish line.

“Although some of our ladies are into keeping fit, the other girls from Coxeys aren’t really runners so I think we’ll all be taking it pretty easy.

“Many people do it wearing fancy dress and we are still debating whether we should do that too. Whatever we wear, we’ll certainly all have something pink on, which is the tradition with Race for Life as it’s an all-girl event.

“It always has such a great fun atmosphere which isn’t too competitive. That’ll make a change from trying to train with my husband Michael who takes his running very seriously.

“He regularly takes part in marathons and has done the ones in London and Chicago. If he was in the Race for Life with us I just know he’d be there spurring us on but the girls and I will be much more relaxed about the whole thing.”

Team Coxeys is hoping that as many colleagues and clients as possible from the firm’s offices in Wrexham and River Lane, Saltney, will be sponsoring their Race for Life entry.

Monday May 20th, 2013

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First Minister Carwyn Jones salutes 175 years of baking in Wrexham

GERRARDS 175 YEARS OF BAKING. Pictured is (front L/R) Dawn van Rensburg, Claire Gerrard-Jones, Michael Coxey Managing Director of Coxeys and Philip Gerrard-Jones.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has sent his personal congratulations to the oldest family firm of craft bakers in Wales as they celebrate their 175th anniversary.

Wrexham-based Gerrards were founded by Mary Gerrard in 1838 and are still going strong with the sixth generation of the family at the helm.

The First Minister said: “There can be very, very few businesses in the UK with a record like this – it’s  an incredible milestone and all the more amazing that  the firm  has remained in the same family.

“Gerrards is very much an institution in North Wales where it has been serving local communities for decades as well as providing jobs for generations of families and I wish them every success in the future.”

In 2010 they took on six new stores following the demise of the Eccleston’s bakery when the owner David Eccleston retired.

They added shops in Bala, Corwen, Llangollen, Chirk, Gresford and Wrexham to their portfolio taking the number of outlets to 15 across North Wales and the Wirral.

The firm also has a fleet of eight mobile bakery shops that supply offices, factories and business parks in North Wales, Shropshire, Cheshire and the Wirral with freshly baked products.

According to Gerrards, one of the key ingredients in their success has been the expert advice and guidance they’ve had from Chartered Accountants Coxeys, who have offices in Wrexham and Saltney.

Michael Coxey has been their accountant since 1974 and their association with the firm stretches back even longer to the 1920s.

He was a guest of honour at a celebration where he helped cut a 175th birthday cake.

Michael said: “I am delighted to be here today to help celebrate this very special anniversary.

“Gerrards have a long proud tradition as high quality craft bakers and I am glad that we have been able to play a part in their enduring success.”

Philip Gerrard Jones is a fifth generation member of the family who started working in the bakery full-time in 1958 and was in charge for more than 30 years.

He and his wife, Claire, have passed on the baton to the next generation, their daughter Dawn van Rensburg and her husband, Dirk.

Philip paid tribute to the immense contribution made by Coxeys in general and Michael Coxey in particular.

He said: “Michael is not only a trusted expert advisor who has helped guide our business for many years but also a close family friend. Michael has a well-deserved reputation of really caring about his clients.”

According to Philip, the firm might not have come into existence except for a tragedy that befell the family.

Founder Mary Gerrard was a farmer’s daughter who married a printer called James Wimpenny.

She started baking and selling bread in Comberbach, near Northwich, to support the family after her husband went blind. The bakery moved to Wrexham in 1868.

Philip said: “I’m immensely proud of our history as the oldest family owned business in Wrexham and  the oldest family run bakery in Wales.

“Over the years we’ve not been frightened to change if we needed to change but the one constant throughout has been our absolute commitment to quality.

“We have some excellent local suppliers including a first class butcher – and anything we can buy locally, we do.

“We’re looking towards the future with confidence and I am delighted that Dawn and Dirk are now running the company.”

Dawn said the skill and the dedication of the firm’s  114 staff were an important part of their on-going success.

She added: “As a member of the sixth generation of the family, it’s a big thing for me to be involved and it’s a case of making sure that we carry on doing the right thing to keep it going for another I don’t know how many years.

“We’re also going out and finding new business, expanding our already loyal base of wholesale customers and customers are rediscovering the value of buying local and supporting local  companies.

“With programmes like the Great British Bake  Off being shown wall to wall on television, baking is fashionable and it’s nice that it’s gaining recognition that it didn’t have in the past.

“People are starting to think about what they’re going out buying and hopefully with us they’ll recognise that they’re buying something that’s a craft, handmade product.

“We’ve got staff that have been with us a very long time and are very skilled people who we value highly.

“Although we have 15 shops, we don’t think of ourselves as a chain. We think of ourselves as a family business.”

Monday May 20th, 2013

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Welsh timber pioneers flying high

Clifford Jones Timber, Ruthin. Alan Jones, chairman

Wales’s first timber laminating plant has created 10 new jobs at a Denbighshire company – with the help of a high tech glue used in the aircraft industry.

Clifford Jones Timber have invested more than £1 million in the new state of the art equipment at their eco-friendly 13-acre headquarters site in Ruthin.

It gives them the capacity to supply high quality, durable laminated timber for the leisure and construction industries and has increased the workforce at Ruthin to 67.

The project was backed by a Welsh Economic Growth Fund grant of £157,000 from the Welsh Government and means that a process that used to take days is now carried out in minutes.

Company Chairman Alan Jones said: “We were reacting to requests from existing customers, particularly in the leisure sector where we supply timber products for playgrounds and parks.

“They wanted material that was tougher, more durable and more stable – so that it didn’t crack or splinter – and laminated timber provides all those qualities.

“But we also believe that we can find new markets in the construction industry where laminated timber is strong enough to be used for lintels and beams and much more attractive than concrete as well as being much lighter.

“We saw an opportunity and we took advantage of the grant that was available though it meant we had to work fast to produce and application and a business plan in just three weeks but we managed it and were successful.”

Previously Clifford Jones Timber had either made their own laminated timber by gluing together lengths of sawn timber and then clamping them together for three days, or imported it in batches from Finland.

The new equipment can create moulded timber which is then passed through a £260,000 laminator in just six minutes.

The process is powered by a 987 kilowatt biomass boiler which is fed with wood chippings taken from the 100,000 tons of timber which is processed on the Ruthin site every year.

The imported batches of pre-laminated timber took three weeks to arrive and were of various lengths, some of which might be unsuitable for an order, and had to be prepaid.

Alan Jones said: “We are now able to produce laminated timber to order more cheaply and much more quickly than we could before and we believe this will open up new markets for us.

“The glue we use is the same as British Aerospace use for the wings for the Airbus and it produces a product that is four times stronger than a conventional wooden beam.

“For the building industry it also has the advantage of being attractive. People like the feel and the look of wood – it’s a tactile material and of course it’s sustainable and stores carbon.”

Clifford Jones Timber was founded by Alan Jones’s father in 1948 and has been at its Ruthin base for 25 years: “When we started here there were two people employed here and now there are 67,” he said.

“Every piece of timber that comes through these gates is used. There isn’t any wasted and there aren’t many industries that can say that.”

The range of products they supply includes fence posts – they are Britain’s biggest producer of round timber posts – and gates, bedding for horses and even cat litter, and a range of wood fuels from dried logs and wood briquettes to wood pellets for biomass boilers.

They use timber from forests all over the UK and also have a second site at Gretna in Scotland where they employ a further ten staff.

The wood fuel side of the business was launched in 2008 after the construction of a a £5 million 20,000 square foot factory at the Ruthin site on Brickfield Lane and it now produces 30,000 tons of fuel pellets every year.

Managing Director Keith Corbett said: “By its nature much of your output is seasonal with the peak time for fence posts in the spring and early summer and for wood fuel in the winter and we’re looking to the laminated wood products to bridge the gap in the summer with sales to the building industry.”

Saturday May 18th, 2013

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