The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, visited the Food Centre Wales in Horeb in Ceredigion on Tuesday 2 August 2016.
The Food Centre is owned and managed by Ceredigion County Council local authority, and its considered an important resource for economic regeneration within rural areas.
The visit follows on from the recently held Food Innovation Wales reception at this years’ Royal Welsh Show, where Food Centre Wales as part of Food Innovation Wales gave a presentation on the technical services available for food producers and manufacturers at the Centre.
Councillor Gareth Lloyd, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economic and Community Development Services, Ceredigion County Council said: “We welcome this opportunity of showing the Cabinet Secretary the superb facilities we have here in rural Ceredigion for food and drink businesses to add value to their products. The Council is proud of the Centre and with farming being a key employer in the area, it is vital that we continue to provide opportunities for producers to be innovative and have a route to market.”
Lesley Griffiths AM, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs said: “I am very grateful to the Food Centre for their warm welcome. Our Food and Drinks Industry makes an important contribution to our economy and I very much welcome efforts to encourage producers to be more innovative and competitive.”
Food Centre Wales provides help and support to food producers who are interested in looking at new product development, taste and product assessment and factory and work place design. The centre also offers training in key areas such as food safety, HASAW, HACCP and internal audit procedures.
Food Centre Wales is now recognised throughout Wales for delivering specialist technical support to the Food Industry. The Food Centre was partly funded by direct support from the Welsh Government (up to 2014) and from the Wales Rural Development Fund 2007 -2013 under the Axis 1 Supply Chain efficiency programme which enabled the Centre to provide a subsidised service to the Food Industry.
Photo: L-R Deputy Leader, Councillor Ray Quant, Eirlys Lloyd – Ceredigion County Council Community Partnerships/Food Centre Wales Manager, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths AM, Councillor Peter Davies and Cabinet Member, Councillor Gareth Lloyd at Food Centre Wales 2 August 2016.
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