We are incredibly proud to share that Puffin Produce, has been named Farm to Fork Producer of the Year, at the Wales Food and Drink Awards 2025.
The food and drink sector in Wales is going from strength-to-strength and the annual awards sees hundreds of Welsh producers and suppliers come together to celebrate the achievements across our industry.
The Farm to Fork award category recognises farmers and manufacturers with strong Welsh farm supplier partnerships. It focusses on the work they do to grow and diversify agriculture in Wales.
So, what have we at Puffin Produce done?
With decades of farming sector knowledge built into Puffin’s heritage, our team had plenty to talk to the judges about!
Puffin is the only BRC AA+ accredited vegetable processing facility in Wales, adhering to the highest food safety standards which allows us to supply UK supermarkets with fresh produce from local growers. We are also the sole supplier of Welsh Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes PGI (Protected Geographical Identifier), Welsh Leeks PGI and Daffodils, something that we hope helps put the Welsh food and drink sector on the map.
But beyond a story of quality and scale, sits the story of community, which is at the heart of everything we do. Around 80% of our produce comes from within a 30 mile radius of our factory. We are committed to the farmers and growers around us, but we also feel privileged to engage with multi-generational communities in Wales, whether that’s through educational events or agricultural shows. Our reach and impact extend beyond our local region via partnerships such as the one we hold with FareShare Cymru. Having pledged to be a Leading Food Partner, we have recently reached the milestone of donating produce to create 2 million meals through their ‘Surplus with Purpose’ redistribution scheme.
Turning the judges’ focus to sustainability, we shared how providing the Welsh consumer with Welsh produce from resilient, nature-rich and sustainable farms is central to Puffin’s ethos of overarching farmer support and business success. In Winter 2024, we built upon existing foundations and launched our new ‘Sustainable Spuds’ grower scheme. This sector-leading scheme incentivises environmental outcomes in the potato production system associated with carbon foot printing, nutrient optimisation, biodiversity, energy and soil health.
Looking further ahead, Puffin is currently leading a Wales-first initiative that will connect corporates, Welsh Government, utility providers and NGOs with one clear goal: to safeguard the natural resources that are so vital to ongoing food production and farm resilience. We’ll share more on this very soon!
Finally, our award entry looked at our own brands, which balance our strategic pillars of Welsh and Sustainability beautifully.
- Blas y Tir or ‘Taste of the Land’ as it translates, has been known for bringing the highest quality Welsh produce from local farms to homes in Wales since 2011. More recently the brand expanded into dairy, offering Welsh shoppers 100% Welsh milk and the chance to support the Welsh economy further.
- ROOT ZERO, our Sustainable Spuds that launched in 2021 as the UKs first carbon neutral potato. The brand has ambitious targets to cut carbon intensity by 51% and operational emissions by 46% by 2030, as well as having a positive impact on the planet and innovating in areas such as packaging, with its 100% plastic free compostable bags.
For us, this award win represents not only all the work that has gone on to get to this point, but it also represents the determination that we share with our growers to continue to support agribusiness in Wales.
Speaking of the win, Huw Thomas CEO shares:
“Our roots are set deep in the Welsh countryside. We have been making farm-to-fork possible for Welsh produce for decades. Farming and food production is all about building resilience through great partnerships, to work in harmony with the full supply chain. I’m incredibly proud of the work our teams do to make that happen. But this award also represents the innovation that sits on top of that foundation of delivery. We continuously look forward to responsibly driving scale that has meaningful impact for Wales and its food and drink sector.”
