We are incredibly proud to share that our parent company, Puffin Produce, has been named Farm to Fork Producer of the Year, at the Wales Food and Drink Awards 2025.

The food and drink sector in Wales is going from strength-to-strength and the annual awards sees hundreds of Welsh producers and suppliers come together to celebrate the achievements across the sector.

The Farm to Fork award category recognises farmers and manufacturers with strong Welsh farm supplier partnerships. It focusses on the work they do to grow and diversify agriculture in Wales.

So, what have we done?

Coming from a farming co-operative with decades of heritage, our team had plenty to talk to the judges about!

Our packing facility in Pembrokeshire is the only BRC AA+ accredited vegetable processing facility in Wales. This means that it meets the highest food safety standards which allows us to supply local produce to UK supermarkets. We are also the sole supplier of Welsh Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes PGI (Protected Geographical Identifier), Welsh Leeks PGI and Daffodils, something that we hope helps put the Welsh food and drink sector on the map.

But beyond a story of quality and scale, sits the story of community, which is at the heart of everything we do. Around 80% of our produce comes from within a 30 mile radius of our factory, showing our commitment to the farmers and growers around us. We are privileged to engage with multi-generational communities in Wales, whether that’s through educational events or agricultural shows. Puffin Produce is also proud to be a Leading Food Partner for FareShare Cymru who redistribute food to those who really need it. Any potatoes that can’t be packed for supermarkets but are still fine to eat, are donated to the charity’s ‘Surplus with Purpose’ scheme. So far, our parent company has contributed to 2 million meals through the scheme.

Turning the judges focus to sustainability, we then shared how we launched our new ‘Sustainable Spuds’ grower scheme in Winter 2024. This scheme incentivises positive environmental outcomes in the potato production system associated with carbon reduction, biodiversity, energy and soil health. This helps ensure that you, our consumers, can get access to Welsh produce that’s from resilient, nature-rich and sustainable farms. It also gives growers access to more support in areas of sustainability, from our business.

Finally, our award entry looked at our own brands, showcasing our very own Blas y Tir. Blas y Tir has been known for bringing the highest quality, locally farmed Welsh produce to homes in Wales since 2011. More recently the brand expanded into dairy, offering Welsh shoppers 100% Welsh milk and the chance to support the Welsh economy further.

For us, this award win represents not only all the work that has gone on to get to this point, but it also represents the determination that we share with our growers to continue to support agribusiness in Wales.

Speaking of the win, Huw Thomas CEO shares:

“Our roots are set deep in the Welsh countryside. We have been committed to truly making farm-to-fork possible for Welsh produce for decades. Farming and food production is all about partnerships and building resilience together, and I’m incredibly proud of the work our teams do to make that happen. But this award also represents the innovation that sits on top of that foundation of delivery. We continuously look forward to responsibly driving scale that has meaningful impact for Wales and its food and drink sector.”

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The full range of whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk will be available in a number of different sizes throughout CK stores across the country.

Founded in 1988 by its Managing Director, Christopher Kiley, CK Foodstores brings quality Welsh products to communities throughout Wales. With Blas y Tir’s aim behind launching its own milk (in October 2025) to bring the highest quality 100% Welsh milk to people across Wales, this feels like a natural partnership.

Blas y Tir milk comes from farms within a 30-mile radius of our processing site, Pembrokeshire Creamery. It is then processed using the highest food safety standards to meet the requirements of national retailers. Bringing the best of Welsh milk to the shelves of CKs means that even more people can now benefit from locally produced, high quality Welsh milk.

Dan Jones, National Account Manager at Pembrokeshire Creamery said:

“We are proud to partner with CKs to bring our branded Welsh milk onto more shelves throughout Wales. “Our milk is produced to the highest standards. Our Creamery is the only liquid milk facility in Wales that meets the top standards for food Safety*. It’s great that CK’s shoppers will now benefit from this, knowing that they can can get the very best of Welsh milk, locally, all sourced and produced here in Wales.”

*Pembrokeshire Creamery is the only BRCGS AA+ rated liquid milk facility in Wales.

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Blas y Tir are proud to be supporting food distribution charity, Fareshare, through our parent company, Puffin Produce.

“These partnerships are so important because it highlights the vital work that needs to be done to make use of surplus food that can help feed people and communities in need.”

Those are the words of Matthew Thomas, Head of Sales and Marketing at Pembrokeshire-based Puffin Produce, one of many businesses in the food supply chain working hard in the fight against food poverty. The partnership he refers to is that with food redistribution charity FareShare. FareShare works with the food industry to rescue edible surplus food and distribute it to a network of 8,000 charities and community groups across the UK.

Puffin Produce supports the charity’s ‘Surplus with Purpose’ scheme, which works to cover the extra costs of redistributing unsold food that is still good to eat, preventing it going to waste. To date, produce donated by Puffin has been used to create two million meals for people in need across Wales.

FareShare is the UK’s largest food redistribution charity and the ‘Surplus with Purpose’ scheme supports businesses across the food industry from growers to manufacturers and wholesalers.

Puffin Produce – the largest supplier of Welsh produce in Wales, supplying potatoes and seasonal vegetables to retailers and wholesalers – started working with FareShare in 2020, providing surplus potatoes and leeks, and was recognised by FareShare as a Leading Food Partner back in 2022.

“Reducing food waste is integral to us and if we can do this while helping charities across the UK, this is perfect synergy,” said Matthew.

“FareShare helps so many vulnerable people and communities, it’s a fabulous organisation to support. If your food supply business has any surplus produce you would normally throw away, we’d urge you to think about how this product can be redistributed to help others and reduce waste.

“The process of donating is simple and the FareShare team are on hand to support you through the entire process. The produce that we’ve donated has been used to create two million meals, a huge achievement and something we are very proud of.”

Puffin are not the only businesses backing the cause, with their insurer NFU Mutual also proud to continue throwing its support behind the campaign. Since 2021, the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust has backed FareShare’s fight against food poverty and has donated a total of £350,000 to the charity.

Beth Pritchard, Community Engagement Consultant at NFU Mutual, said: “As the leading rural insurer, we have been championing the opportunity for growers and producers to support the surplus with purpose scheme to help ensure excess produce is redistributed to those who really need it – as NFU Mutual is proud to be a long-standing supporter of FareShare.

“It is important throughout the year – especially in January after the festive period – to continue supporting people facing food poverty where possible, and we applaud the whole team at Puffin Produce for their outstanding effort in backing the work FareShare does.”

One of the charities to benefit from Puffin’s surplus product is Ystradowen Community Centre, which is based in Swansea and provided services and activities to the people of Ystradowen and the surrounding communities.

Emily Jones, Community Support Supervisor from the centre, said: “The leeks and potatoes we received from FareShare Cymru were a great help, allowing us to prepare nutritious meals for elderly members of our community, many of whom rarely have access to home-cooked food. Sitting down together and socialising over a meal is an excellent way to reduce loneliness among our clients. For some, it’s the only opportunity they have to speak and connect with others.”

FareShare’s ‘Surplus with Purpose’ fund contributes to the cost of harvest or transporting surplus food and can help your business identify surplus food that could be redirected to charities. Find out more about the scheme at fareshare.org.

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Tesco stores in Wales will be the first to stock the recently-launched Blas y Tir Welsh milk!

Blas y Tir (Welsh for ‘Taste of the Land’) Welsh milk was launched in July by Pembrokeshire Creamery, the only BRCGS-accredited liquid milk facility in Wales. The creamery is producing 100% Welsh milk for retailers in Wales – milk from Welsh cows, fed on Welsh pasture then processed and bottled in Pembrokeshire.

The new Blas y Tir Welsh milk will be available in 2 litre bottles as semi-skimmed and whole milk in around 55 Tesco Superstores and Tesco Extras throughout Wales. The milk will be on the shelves from 14 October.

Blas y Tir is a brand created by Pembrokeshire Creamery’s sister-business Puffin Produce under which it supplies Welsh produce, such as Pembrokeshire Earlies PGI and Welsh Leeks PGI grown by local farmers and packed in Wales.

Huw Thomas, CEO of Pembrokeshire Creamery said:

“We are pleased to be working with Tesco to launch our new branded Welsh milk onto supermarket shelves for the first time.

“Our experience with the Blas y Tir brand shows us that supermarket customers in Wales are much more likely to choose a product if it has a clear, authentic Welsh provenance.

“Blas y Tir Welsh milk is produced here in Wales for Welsh shoppers, instead of being sent over the border to be processed. It’s offering those customers a more sustainable option, which is authentically 100% Welsh and supports Welsh farmers and producers,” he said.

Tesco Wales buyer Nathan Edwards said:

“We are so proud to work with Pembrokeshire Creamery, a company that exemplifies entrepreneurship and community, creating jobs and opportunities for local people.

“It’s important for us to champion local producers who share our commitment to quality and community. They’ve made an impressive start, and we’re excited to see how this partnership will benefit both our customers and the wider community. We look forward to growing our relationship as Pembrokeshire Creamery continues to thrive.”

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Pembrokeshire Earlies season runs from around June – early September and the very first harvest is still done by hand! Sold loose and unwashed at the start of the season, these handpicked beauties have delicate flaky skin, which is why they have to be handled with care. 

So, what makes Pembrokeshire Earlies so special?

Thanks to the Gulf Stream hugging the coastline, Pembrokeshire’s mild, frost-free coastal climate is perfect for growing these seasonal new potatoes, which have been grown in the county since the 1700’s. The unique climate and coastal soils work perfectly together to give our renowned Blas y Tir Pembrokeshire Earlies their full flavour, fine skins and smooth, creamy texture.

In 2013 our Pembrokeshire Earlies were awarded Protected Geographical Indicator Status (PGI) by the European Commission, meaning they have the same protection as Champagne and Parma Ham… not bad for a little new potato from West Wales!

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