August 18, 2026 - 222 views
Independent food and drink businesses across North Wales are being urged to make the most of skills and training opportunities as a new report highlights the importance of investing in people to the future of the Welsh sector.
The three-year impact report from Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales records support for 497 businesses and more than 1,400 people, with around 2,000 training interventions delivered.
More than 11,000 pupils have also been engaged through careers activity, as the programme seeks to encourage the next generation to consider jobs in food production, processing, engineering, marketing, sustainability and food science.
The figures are particularly relevant to North Wales, where a large number of food and drink businesses are small, independent or family-run enterprises.
Research commissioned by Ambition North Wales found that much of the region's food and drink business population is concentrated among micro and small and medium-sized enterprises. It identified particular strengths in North Wales' drinks sector, with food manufacturing also representing a relative regional strength.
The research, which examined the region's food system, highlighted opportunities to shorten supply chains, create jobs and stimulate investment by encouraging more local production and consumption.
That makes the survival and growth of independent producers important beyond the businesses themselves.
A local food producer can potentially support employment, buy ingredients and services from other local firms, supply shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, and attract visitors looking for distinctive food and drink linked to the North Wales landscape and identity.
Keeping more of that spending within the region can help strengthen the wider local economy.
Welsh Government research describes food and drink as part of the country's foundational economy, with a particularly high proportion of very small businesses compared with the UK as a whole. A review of government food-sector schemes also highlighted the need for better pathways to sustainable growth for smaller businesses.
At a Wales-wide level, the scale of the industry is considerable. The latest Welsh Government economic appraisal covers turnover, employment, business numbers and exports across the sector, while Food & Drink Wales says around 170,000 people contribute to gross sales of £17.3 billion across the wider Welsh food and drink industry.
The North Wales picture is especially interesting because food and drink connects several important parts of the regional economy – from agriculture and fishing to manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, retail and distribution.
For independent businesses, however, finding and retaining skilled staff can be a significant challenge.
The Food & Drink Skills Wales programme is intended to address some of those pressures by providing tailored workforce development support. Eligible food and drink manufacturing and processing businesses can receive up to 80 per cent funding towards approved training, with Workforce Development Managers helping businesses identify skills gaps and development opportunities.
The programme has also delivered 750 Food & Drink Career Passports, supported more than 6,000 job advertisements through FoodDrinkJobs.Wales and involved 3,692 pupils in the Tasty Careers Schools Challenge.
Melanie Cargill, Programme Manager, said investment in skills could have a significant impact on both businesses and individuals, helping to develop a skilled, productive and resilient workforce.
Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability Llyr Gruffydd said a skilled and adaptable workforce was essential to the continued success of Wales' food and drink industry.
For North Wales, the issue goes beyond filling vacancies.
The region's independent food and drink businesses are part of what gives its towns and rural communities their individual character. From artisan producers and bakeries to breweries, farm-based businesses and specialist manufacturers, they can provide products that are difficult for large national companies to replicate.
They can also play an important role in the growing interest in local and regional food supply chains.
The North Wales food systems research specifically identified strengthening local and regional supply chains as an opportunity for economic growth, sustainability and resilience.
Welsh Government's Food & Drink Wales programme similarly promotes local and Welsh-branded products and identifies stronger business and supply-chain networks as one of its priorities.
The challenge now is ensuring that independent businesses can benefit from those opportunities while dealing with rising costs, recruitment pressures, changing consumer habits and the demands of competing for space in increasingly competitive markets.
The new skills report suggests that investment in people could be one important part of the answer.
For North Wales, supporting the next generation of food and drink workers could ultimately mean more than creating individual career opportunities. It could help ensure that the independent businesses which contribute to the region's economy, communities and identity have the skills and resilience needed to survive and grow.
