A BAKERY has launched a campaign in Corwen to promote the use of Welsh meat which can be traced “from farm to fork”.

The Wrexham family company Village Bakery has secured accreditation to label their popular pies and slices as being made with Welsh meat which has Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.

The pasty maker has now teamed up with Meat Promotion Wales and one of the shops they supply, in Corwen, to unveil the new drive to emphasise the quality and value of their ingredients.

The campaign was launched at the Nisa Local store, on London Road, which is run by Merle and Andrew Westbury who are big fans of the bakery’s products.

Merle said: “Things are going really well. We did our homework before we opened. Around 12,000 cars pass the store every day and that makes a big difference.

“The Village Bakery products are very popular with our customers and the fact that they use Welsh lamb and beef in their pies is good for the farmers.

“They are also a family-run company, so we have a lot in common.”

The Village Bakery were among the first in North Wales to adopt local sourcing two decades ago and they only use beef and lamb from Wales in their products.

They buy all their meat from Conwy Valley Meats, in Llanrwst, which can be traced back to farm where it was reared.

Managing director Robin Jones said: “We’re paying a premium for the lamb and beef that we buy because it’s a great product and has excellent provenance.

“We’ve been buying off Conwy Valley Meats for 15 years now which means I know exactly where our Welsh beef and lamb comes from. Everything is reared in the area, it’s sold in the area and the supply chain from field to fork is within a 50 or 60 mile radius.

“Quite rightly these days everybody wants to know where their ingredients come from and now the labels on our packs makes it immediately clear to customers.

“It’s also great news for the North Wales economy because we are buying local which helps the farmers. It means that the North Wales pound stays in North Wales.

“We wanted to launch the campaign with Merle and Andrew at Nisa Local in Corwen because they are great customers of ours.”

The launch was a proud moment for the Village Bakery’s pie room manager, Kerry Wilson. He said: “The secret of making a really great pie or slice is very straightforward, it’s all about what you put in it. Welsh lamb and beef are the best and it’s great to used locally sourced meat.

“Our latest product, the lamb slice, is proving hugely popular and it’s flying off the shelves.”

Meat Promotion Wales’ UK market development executive, Emily Davies, said: “The PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef brands are highly respected and give added value to retail products at home and abroad. It’s great to see a local company using this sought-after designation to give consumers reassurance that the meat used in their products is fully traceable from farm to fork.”