Llaeth y Llan - The Village Dairy

Llaeth y Llan is a family-run business, developed through diversification of a farm nestled outside the small village of Llannefydd, Conwy. Llaeth y Llan’s yogurts are offered on supermarket shelves across Wales and other parts of the UK.

As a young man Gareth was forever thinking of ways to experiment with his 50 acre farm. He and his wife, Falmai both attended courses to extend their knowledge of food production and business, looking to diversify in tough times. After experimenting with different products the 2 finally launched Llaeth y Llan Yogurt in 1985.

Llaeth y Llan yogurt was launched and sold predominantly through milk rounds and independent stores. By 2014 they employed 25 people by 2016 that nearly doubled to 43 and is set to double once more. The Denbighshire company and brand is known throughout Wales and the borders, and is stocked in all major supermarkets.

The family are ambassadors for the Welsh Food and Drink Skills Project. They are now 1 of 25 food and drink ambassadors for the ‘Future Skills . . . food for thought’ campaign to help businesses grow.

They have a firm belief that their business is only as good as their staff and put emphasis on training and investing in the community, the majority of which is conducted in-house to help develop people's skills.

The company's success has allowed them to double staff numbers in a major expansion and is on course to boost production and create new jobs at its Tal y Bryn farm after a contract with major supermarkets. As a result of their recent growth, Llaeth Y Llan/Village Dairy forecasts a 6-fold increase in sales of yogurts as availability extends in food stores across Wales.