Rhys Iley – Chair of Judges

Rhys has had a long career in the food and drink industry both in the UK and overseas,  working for the likes of Marks and Spencer, and Starbucks. Rhys is currently the Chair of Haverfordwest based Puffin Produce Ltd, known throughout Wales for their Blas y Tir brand, and is Chair of the parent company […]

Head of Sales & Marketing, Castell Howell Haydn Pugh is the Sales and Marketing Director at Castell Howell. Having been a part of the team for 16 years, Haydn’s journey from Cash & Carry Warehouse Assistant to his new role is a prime example of how the business supports its team from within.

Founder of Fodder Lass Consulting and Free Ranging Agri Food Consultant Caroline, who grew up in rural North Wales, possesses a broad background  in the local food and tourism sectors. With a diverse background in Welsh food and drink, she works as a consultant, collaborating with both start-ups and established businesses. Her innovative and solution-focused […]

Yash moved to Wales to take over Ferraris Coffee 6 years ago, in this time the business has scaled from a local distribution business to an accredited manufacturer of Coffee supplying both national and international contracts. In these years Yash has developed a passion for Welsh food and drink and is keen to champion other […]

Former Managing Director of Jones Village Bakery Master baker Robin Jones is a driving force in the Welsh food industry, blending craftsmanship with bold commercial vision. As former Managing Director of Jones Village Bakery, he transformed a small Coedpoeth bakery with five staff into a global brand and major employer of over 1,000 across six […]

Together with her husband, Alison started and successfully run three businesses, all in North Wales. Now working as Managing Director of Halen Môn, she is enjoying the challenge and reward of sitting on a number of boards and being deeply involved in the Welsh Food and Drink industry community. 

Andrew Martin is the head of food, drink, and agri-tech at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Cymru. With over two decades of experience, Andrew’s expertise lies in leveraging new technologies to enhance productivity whilst driving forward a net zero industry.

Gruff grew up on a dairy farm in North Wales that diversified into added value dairy manufacturing. Following an early career in the Oil and Gas industry, Gruff returned to the UK and has been working in the food and drink industry since 2015. Started off on the supplier side, however for the last 4 […]

Founder and Director of Grapevine Event Management Liz founded Grapevine Event Management in March 2011 and it is now one of the most well recognised corporate events companies in Wales delivering high quality creative and innovative events. Liz is the co-founder of the Welsh Food & Drink Awards. Speaking about the awards Liz has said […]