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Rollockings in Welsh put wellbeing tea company in with shout for top award

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STAFF at a health-giving wellbeing tea company in Carmarthenshire will be shouting at their mushrooms in Welsh to shock them into growing more quickly.

The team at Tetrim Teas, in Trimsaran, which launched its range of green teas last year, are looking forward to having a “bawl” with the novel approach.

The not-for-profit business has been shortlisted  for an award at the Gwobrau Mwyaf Cymraeg yn y Byd (Most Welsh in the World Awards) organised as part of the Bwrlwm ARFOR scheme that’s run by Anglesey-based consultancy firm Lafan.

The aim of the competition is to celebrate all things Welsh in business across the four counties with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd and Anglesey.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Aberystwyth on June 20 and the Tetrim team are thrilled to have been shortlisted in the category for the Most Welsh Staff.

It’s fair to say the competition organisers didn’t expect that giving Lion’s Mane mushrooms a rollocking in Welsh – they also play them loud rock music – would be part of their commitment to the language.

Kelly Stockwell, business manager for Tetrim which was set up by Mari Arthur three years ago, said: “All of us in the company speak Welsh and we always use the language as the first option in speaking to customers and suppliers but if they’re not comfortable with that then of course we’re happy to switch to English.

“We use green teas from the Dartmoor Estate in Devon as a base and then use rhubarb from a farm on Ynys Mon to make our Rhubarb Root Tea, our first product, which came out last year.

“We have since added our Lion’s Mane Tea, made with mushrooms from Gwynedd-based Madarch Cymru and launched on St David’s Day, is made with Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

“As part of our training we have discovered that the mushrooms respond to shocks such as shouting at them or playing loud music by growing more quickly so we will use that as a stimulus so of course we shout at them in Welsh.

“Sustainability is at the heart of our business and we would like to source all our ingredients in Wales as much as we can to lower our food miles.

“We would like to work with farmers and growers to develop a regular green tea supplier here because they could grow tea plants in polytunnels but for the moment we use the Dartmoor Estate in Devon.

“Our wellbeing tea collection is the main focus of the company and our three mushroom units funded by ARFOR should be at full capacity by the end of the summer, growing the Lion’s Mane Mushrooms, Shiitake and Wood Oyster varieties.” 

Mari became convinced of the benefits of green tea when she ran a health spa and that inspired her to launch the business and Tetrim Teas has worked with scientists and students at Aberystwyth University on clinical trials which suggest their teas had a positive effect on the health of those taking part.

Mari said: “We are also a not-for-profit family business and enjoy giving back to our community.

“We do projects with local schools, growing tea plants with the children of the eco-committee and also have a weekly Tŷ Tê – Tea Hub where we encourage social gathering of people to drink tea, chat about wellbeing and health and practice speaking Welsh. 

“The fact we have been shortlisted for the Staff Mwyaf Cymraeg award is important to us as we value our team and encourage them in decision-making along with championing the Welsh language and being a living wage accredited employer.  

Tetrim Teas, which is based in Trimsaran, use the village community centre as their blending house where head blender and Mari’s nephew Steffan McAllister creates the teas.

There once a week they run their Tŷ Te Community Group where locals get together over a cuppa to talk about health and well-being and run the rule over Steffan’s latest blends.

The purpose of the competition is to encourage businesses to use Welsh to boost their bottom line – and put a smile on people’s faces at the same time.

It certainly seems to have succeeded with dozens of entries finally whittled down to 30 finalists in seven different categories.

A spokesperson for ARFOR said: “Our aim is to create a buzz around the use of Welsh in a business or commercial environment and how it can help businesses thrive and provide careers for our young people so they don’t feel they have to move away.

“We have received dozens of nominations from a variety of businesses across the four counties of Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire and those shortlisted for an award are those the judges feel are doing their utmost to use and promote the Welsh language on their premises, their marketing and their social media channels.

“We have 30 finalists and we are conducting a public vote on social media.

“We wish all of them the very best of luck at the forthcoming award ceremony and hope the other nominees continue their good work in using and promoting our language.”

The Bwrlwm ARFOR campaign is part of the ARFOR Two scheme that was launched in 2022 in succession to the 2019 ARFOR programme to continue to strengthen and promote the economic resilience of the Welsh language in the four counties.

ARFOR Two is intended to provide economic support to communities that are strongholds of the Welsh language, increase opportunities to see and use the Welsh language on a daily basis and help young people under the age of 35 to stay in or return to their communities.

 

Business

Main Street Music to close retail shop as owner focuses on handmade guitars

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A POPULAR Pembrokeshire music shop is changing the way it operates, with Main Street Music confirming it will no longer trade as a retail shop from September 1.

The business said there will be an immediate 15% sale on all stock, but stressed that Main Street Music is not disappearing completely.

The owner said the decision had been made “with a heavy heart”, adding that the shop’s closure as a retail outlet would be a loss for Pembrokeshire as the county’s last professional guitar dealership.

He said his long-term passion had always been making musical instruments, something he had done since his teenage years, later receiving scholarships and a fellowship for his studies.

After college, he was given the opportunity to buy the business at the age of 24.

He said: “I have had an amazing time running this shop, giving it everything I’ve got, met some wonderful people and sold some incredible guitars.”

Although the business itself remains successful, he said tighter retail margins, dealership pressures and rising costs had made it difficult to grow in a way that would allow him to employ others and spend more time in the workshop.

The shop will eventually reopen as an appointment-only workshop and showroom for handmade guitars and repairs.

Current repair work will continue on a case-by-case basis by appointment only.

Main Street Music thanked customers for their support over recent years, saying the owner was proud of where the shop had been taken.

Caption:

Main Street Music will close as a retail shop from September 1, but will continue as an appointment-only workshop and showroom for handmade guitars and repairs.

 

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Business

Fishguard and Goodwick Bowls Club set to appeal council’s refusal of signage

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A Pembrokeshire sports club, which was recently refused permission by the council to keep advertising signs which support its activities, is looking to fight that decision.

Earlier this month, in an application refused by Pembrokeshire County Council on the grounds of visual impact, Fishguard & Goodwick Bowls Club sought retrospective permission for up to 36 signs on land close to the town’s Phoenix Centre.

The signs, which the applicants said provide “an important source of revenue for the Fishguard and Goodwick Bowls Club, supporting the ongoing operation and maintenance of local community sporting facilities,” had been in place for some 18 months, being removed ahead of the formal planning application.

Speaking after the refusal, Richard Brind, club captain of Fishguard & Goodwick Bowls Club, said the club had discussed challenging the decision, and had been taking advice from local county councillors about the best potential route, with options including a direct appeal through the Welsh Government’s PEDW (Planning and Environment Decisions Wales).

“We acted in good faith as we believed we had permission from a PCC department to install the signs.

“The irony in all of this is we actually paid PCC to have the signs made by their sign making department (who were the department that told us it would be OK to install the signs on our fence).

“The landlord of the grounds which is PCC have told us that they had no objection to us installing the signs, providing planning is granted.”

Mr Brind added: “I’m disappointed with the way the planning department have handled the process, not the decision, but I do think that was wrong; other sports clubs have signs up in the area, it doesn’t seem right.”

On the financial implication, he said: “Unfortunately, the costs of everything goes up, the costs to maintain the green are not covered by our membership, this year we’re probably going to spend £5,000. The money from the signs was certainly helping to keep the club viable, if we don’t get that money from somewhere, maybe through increased fees; membership would have to go up by a half, from £80 to £120.

“The funding we receive from the ads, it’s not vital but it’s a definite help, losing it would be ‘death from 1,000 cuts,’ money slowly trickling out.”

He finished: “I could understand it if it was an area of outstanding natural beauty rather than a car park, where we are we’ve got Jewsons and a petrol station.”

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said: “The Local Planning Authority has considered the application in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992 (as amended), which require due consideration of the impact signage would have on visual amenity and public safety.

“While comments regarding advice the applicant received from other council departments and landowner consent are noted, each application must be determined on its own merits with regard to relevant policy and legislation.

“The Authority recognises the club’s valuable role in the community; however, financial considerations are not material to the assessment of advertisement consent.

“Whilst there is a right of appeal to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), the Local Planning Authority remains willing to engage with the applicant regarding any revised proposals they may wish to present.”

 

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Business

Government backs high street with crackdown on cheap imports

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MINISTERS have announced plans to speed up reforms aimed at helping high street businesses compete with online retailers and overseas sellers.

The Treasury said changes to low-value imports will now be brought forward by six months, with customs duty relief on goods worth £135 or less set to be scrapped from October 2028.

The move is designed to stop online retailers gaining an unfair advantage over shops, pubs, restaurants, hotels and other high street businesses.

At present, many cheaper imported goods can enter the UK without customs duty, a system which ministers say has left traditional retailers at a disadvantage.

The Government is also reviewing how VAT is collected from businesses trading through online marketplaces, amid concerns that some sellers are failing to pay the tax they owe.

The Treasury said revenue raised from tougher VAT enforcement would be used to help improve the business rates system for high street firms.

Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “This action tackles the unfair competition and dodgy businesses that are doing real damage to our high streets.

“And by making sure that tax is paid when it’s owed, we can raise revenue to put back into improvements to the business rates system for pubs, restaurants, hotels and other high street businesses.”

The package also includes a consultation on VAT reform for land used in new social housing developments.

Ministers say the change could help speed up the delivery of affordable homes by making the tax system better reflect how social housing schemes are developed.

The Treasury said the measures form part of wider plans to make the UK tax and customs system simpler, fairer and more focused on economic growth.

 

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