Gluten Free Bakery Products Extend Range to North Wales

Welsh Gluten Free Bakery Products

When Joyce Harvey-Dunton was diagnosed as Coeliac, with total wheat intolerance, she found her choice of bakery products to be limited.

As a result, she and her husband Andrew decided to set-up a bakery – Welsh Gluten Free Bakery Products (WGF) – with Joyce, a trained chef providing the hands-on baking experience producing a large range of specialist products suitable for Coeliacs.  

The Carmarthenshire business has gone from strength to strength and supplies independent stores and cafes throughout South and West Wales.

Last year they invested heavily and moved into a purpose built unit which has given them the space and equipment to grow the family-run business.  In January 2019 after a lot of hard work they succeeded in obtaining the Safe And Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) food standard accreditation which is essential to growth and new markets.  The business is now busy expanding its customer base along the Welsh coast to North Wales.

“We’ve slowly built up the business but 2019 is the year to move north and we’ve been so well received and supported by excellent local produce champions such as Justin and Sara McIlveen from the Spar Group at Llanrwst.  This has allowed us to service Coeliacs with tasty bakes at Spar Llanrwst & Spar Penmaenmawr where they are selling well”.

Continually developing new ranges, Joyce has honed her recipes over a number of years, perfecting the taste and texture of WGF’s bread, flapjacks, cakes, Welshcakes, shortbread, scones, craft boxed finger cakes, tartlets and sweet pastries. In addition, WGF have developed a range of vegan gluten-free baked products.

Their skill and invention have paid off, and in 2017, WGF received a coveted Great Taste Award for its seeded bread and rolls – putting the bakery among an elite group of producers.

Says Andrew, “Achieving the SALSA accreditation will certainly change things for us as it is required by many wholesalers. We’ve taken on part-time members of staff, enabling us to concentrate on other areas of the business such as making inroads into North Wales”

Through its links with Cywain, WGF has been able to tap into a wide range of business training and advice, and through trade events make contacts with a wider audience.

Says Andrew, “The support we’ve had – and continue to have – from Cywain and Project Helix at The Food Technology Centre has been tremendous, they have helped us to move forward as a growing business in the big wide world of the competitive marketplace.”

“We’re thrilled to see WGF make this investment and take this great step to grow their company and markets,” says Cywain Development Manager, Nia Môn.

“Joyce and Andrew have worked very hard developing their business and have accessed a range of support available through Cywain. We look forward to seeing their products becoming available to a wider audience across Wales.” 

Visit: www.wgfbakeryproducts.co.uk

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