Llongyfarchiadau! Congratulations to The Lobster Pot on winning Food and Drink Exporter of the year 2022.
Why did you enter the Wales Food and Drink Awards?
It was a great opportunity for us to broaden our network beyond the seafood industry. We are very successful small business that has coped with both covid and brexit extremely well. Entering an award confirms helps to reinforce our offering to customers and helps set us above our competitors.
What does winning a Wales Food and Drink Award mean to your business?
Winning an award for a wild caught product, help us differentiate ourselves from our competitors, adding to our brand proposition. It is also a great way to show our staff that what they are doing is valued. It has also given the Lobster Pot credibility within Welsh Government and helped reinforce the need for a well funded Welsh Fisheries Trade team.
How do you strive to make a difference in the Wales Food and Drink market?
We aim to be at the leading edge of our field, adapting to fit the circumstances and market place but at the same time innovating and utilising modern technology to ensure that we maintain our position as the leading shellfish exporter in Wales. Meeting businesses in other sectors of the food industry allows us to learn and share best practices.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for the sector?
Sustainability and stock management within the fishing sector and Covid recovery within some of our markets. Prior to Covid, China represented 50% of our turnover. Adapting to their ever changing political and economic situation remains a great challenge.
What are your goals for the next 12 months?
Expansion. A postponed project is now firmly back on the agenda. It is hoped that we will complete a new crab handling facility within the next 12 months with the aim to increase our turnover and job creation.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in the past year as a company?
We have learned that we must remain flexible and adapt quickly to the current market situations. Dealing with an extremely perishable product means that we have to react to situations as quickly as a daily and sometimes hourly basis.
What is one piece of advice would you give to any aspiring business owner?
Take advice where it is available and keep on the ball!
What did you think of the awards ceremony?
A brilliant evening – really well organised. It was great fun for us to catch up with some old friends and make some new acquaintances. We believe that there is an opportunity to share knowledge and even customers with companies from other sectors. It is wonderful to see that you have moved this event to the north this year!
