Courses and training for setting up a new food business in Wales
The future of the food industry is largely in the hands of small-scale producers, and we need more small food businesses in Wales if we want to produce our food sustainably.
By Miriam Fisher, Crickhowell
The food industry in Wales is going to look radically different in the post COVID-19 and post-Brexit future. With unemployment rates set to spike, the idea of owning and running a successful food business is an ever more appetising option in Wales, especially for young people like me. We want to stay living here, but what if there are no jobs?
There is a huge amount of help and support out there, from feedback on business ideas, to courses, to funding and mentoring.
I have researched what’s out there and have come up with this list. (If you spot a gap, get in touch!)
It is also worth having a look at the Success Stories section of this website for great examples of food businesses in Wales and elsewhere, and at the Training Opportunities page for ways you can gain experience on farms around the UK.
Good luck!
Help to get going with new business ideas
Big Ideas Wales offer support for young people (under 25s) interested in starting their own business. They have a website full of useful information and advice for young entrepreneurs, from thinking about setting up a business, to marketing and employing people. They also run workshops all over Wales to inspire young people and support their ideas. Role Models, people with their own business, deliver these workshops and can be provide on-going help.
They are really friendly too, and happy to talk.
Farming Connect is a branch of Business Wales that provides one-to-one support, guidance and training for farmers and food businesses in Wales. They can help if you have new business ideas you want to develop.
Cywain supports Welsh food and drink producers to grow. They can help with gaining skills, increasing sustainability and finding new markets.
Menter a Busnes is an independent, not for profit company that supports individuals, businesses and organisations in Wales to start and develop their business.
Enterprise Nation is a UK membership organisation for entrepreneurs. It organises lots of things, including 300 meetings a year on different topics. They have a Next Generation project for young entrepreneurs and they support female entrepreneurs through the She Means Business project.
The Prince’s Trust helps young people aged 18-30 to start their own business. Whether you have a business in mind or simply want to explore an idea, they provide training, mentoring and funding through their free business start-up support.
And for people a little further down the line…….
Food Innovation Wales, backed by Welsh Government, brings together three food centres: The ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre (Cardiff Metropolitan University), The Food Centre Wales (Horeb, Ceredigion) and The Food Technology Centre (Coleg Menai). These food centres can provide feedback on new ideas, help to develop and test new products and provide technical advice on food technology.
- The Food Technology Centre at Coleg Menai offers training courses for those at the beginning of their career in the food industry. Among their courses are ‘Starting a food business’ and ‘Bespoke food manufacturing’. They also provide technical advice and can give space in their test kitchens for you to develop new products in commercial-grade facilities.
- The Food Centre Wales in Horeb, Ceredigion, offers training courses in things like food safety, cheese-making, ice-cream making and meat products. They offer technical advice and new business incubator units with all the equipment needed for commercial food production.
- ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Like the other centres they provide technical advice on new product development including kitchens to test new ideas. They also run a university degree in food production and a 3-day summer school every July.
Courses
Here are some courses in growing and food production in Wales, though you could go anywhere in UK or even beyond to find more.
The Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth offers some interesting courses including:
- A postgraduate course, Sustainable Food and Natural Resources
Permaculture Wales offers 3-day permaculture courses.
Cardiff University has a part-time course for adults on permaculture: Design Your Edible Garden.
Ragmans Farm, just over the border in Gloucestershire, run courses on permaculture and organic food growing. This includes courses on Cider Making and Sustainable Bee Keeping.
Food Science & Technology degree at Cardiff Met offers an entry into the food industry.
Tasty Careers Wales website has a list of courses around the UK, for example, food management, food technology, baking/patisserie, brewing, fish & shellfish and butchery.
Cambria Training in Welshpool offers food & drink apprenticeships.
Coleg Sir Gar in Carmarthen offers a number of part-time and full-time courses and apprenticeships in horticulture.
Categories: Getting started. Tags: training and Wales.