A Porthmadog brewer has been announced as Gwynedd Product Ambassador for the second year running during a ceremony held at the Glynllifon Christmas Fair near Caernarfon to announce the winners of the Gwynedd Taste and Talent Awards 2010.
Lawrence Washington is the founder and owner of the Purple Moose Brewery and he is particularly pleased that his latest series of beers, named after old Porthmadog ships, has lead to his being honored as the county’s product ambassador again this year.
“I went to the Gwynedd Archives to do some research and find photographs,” says Lawrence.
“Purple Moose is based in Porthmadog and I already knew something about the history and importance of the town’s harbour through my links with the Ffestiniog Railway. I’ve tried to create beers that people can identify with through the local history and because this range has been such a success I’ll be creating more recipes and using more ships next year.”
This is the second year that these awards have been given in order to recognise and celebrate the contribution of the county’s food and drink producers, craftspeople and artists to the local economy.
The competition attracted 49 entries from 41 businesses and the standard and quality of all the products certainly pleased each of the 8 judges representing particular sectors of the food and craft industries.
Mirain Gwyn, Gwynedd’s Offer: Local Products Co-ordinator, who organised the competition, thinks that this proves that the Awards are going from strength to strength.
“I’ve really enjoyed every aspect of this competition and I’m also pleased that so many have taken part. It’s also great to hear from the judges that all the entries were of such high quality,” she said.
All the winners will receive a pack of Gwynedd products, including a specially commissioned piece of pottery made by Tom Gloster and goods produced by some of last year’s winners namely Purple Moose and Peris & Corr, greeting card from Rob Piercy, one of the judges, as well as a Snowdonia 2011 Calendr from Gwreiddiau/Origins Llanbedr and a personal mug from LakeDigital in Porthmadog.
Gwynedd’s Offer is part of a broader project known as Llwyddo yng Ngwynedd, which is the name given to the Wales Rural Development Plan projects in Gwynedd (2007-2013). The projects are led by Gwynedd’s Economic Partnership (PEG) and funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Gwynedd Council.
