Business
Rollockings in Welsh put wellbeing tea company in with shout for top award
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
Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure
PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.
The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.
The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.
A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”
Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.
Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.
From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.
Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.
(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)
Business
52 homes to be built in Roch as scheme gets final sign-off
THE FINAL stage of approval for a near-£10m Pembrokeshire residential development of 52 homes has been given the go-ahead.
Back in April, members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee backed an application by Wakefield Pembrokeshire Ltd for the development, which includes four one-bed affordable housing units, on land near Pilgrims Way, Roch.
18 objections to the scheme were received, raising concerns including an “inadequate” affordable housing level, it being a high density development for a rural area, a loss of green space, the size of some of the homes, and pressures on existing services and facilities, and fears it may lead to an increase in second homes.
Nolton & Roch Community Land Trust (N&RCLT) has raised its concerns about a lack of affordable homes at the development, calling for a 20 per cent affordable homes element, as recommended by policy.
An officer report for members, recommending conditional approval, said: “It is apparent that the proposed development is not fully policy compliant, insofar as it cannot deliver the indicative 20 per cent affordable housing sought [by policy].
“However, a substantial positive social impact will arise through the provision of housing, including four one-bed affordable housing units, in meeting identified needs for both market and affordable housing.
“Financial obligations identified to mitigate adverse impacts arising from the proposed development cannot be met in full. However, [policy] acknowledges that in such circumstances contributions may be prioritised on the basis of the individual circumstances of each case.”
Speaking at the meeting, agent Gethin Beynon said the project had a “significant economic value” of around £10m, and the local applicant had “a sense of stewardship to the local community,” offering affordable housing and community infrastructure towards highways and education.
Approval was delegated to the council’s head of planning to approve the application, subject to the completion of a Section 106 planning obligation, making community financial contributions.
The Section 106 agreement was recently agreed, with the application now formally approved.
Business
World of engineering and welding SPARCs interest in Ysgol Harri Tudur’s female learners
AN EVENT hosted by Ledwood Engineering gave girls from Year 8 and 9 at Ysgol Harri Tudur first-hand experience of the world of engineering recently.
Engineering is a booming sector in Pembrokeshire with a high demand for skilled workers in exciting career pathways associated with the development of low carbon and renewable energy industry and the Celtic Freeport.
The young women heard from industry experts on the importance of engineering in Pembrokeshire, and had hands on experience using a welding simulator, at the company’s Pembroke Dock site.
The learners are part of the County’s SPARC (Sustainable Power and Renewable Construction) initiative aimed as inspiring and empowering young females to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pathways where females are under-represented in the workforce.
SPARC is funded through an alliance comprising Blue Gem Wind, Ledwood Engineering, Port of Milford Haven, RWE Renewables, Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire College and the Swansea Bay City Deal.
Mrs Laura Buckingham, SPARC practitioner at Ysgol Harri Tudur said: “Our learners had a fantastic experience at Ledwood Engineering. They were given lots of advice by industry experts on the different career options and pathways within the engineering sector.
“They appreciated the opportunity to ask their questions and found the session very informative. Having the chance to trial their welding skills on the simulator was an experience they continue to talk about and has definitely piqued their interest.”
Poppy Sawyer, Year 8 SPARC learner added: ‘It was a really good trip. Talking to the different people there has helped me know more about the jobs we could get which will be very useful when making choices for my future.”
“They helped us a lot by giving us lots of information. We were able to look around and try welding. It was really fun,” added Tianna Marshall, Year 8 SPARC learner.
The Regional Learning and Skills Partnership also launched its Explore Engineering interactive website at the event.
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