- New strategy to cover the entire food system from
farm to fork
- Expert group being established to shape the
future of Welsh food
- Industry champion appointed to lead stakeholder
engagement
Wales is set to transform the way it thinks about food,
with the announcement of the National Food Strategy for
Wales and the appointment of a Chair and
future expert group to drive its development.
The Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability made
the announcement today 21 July - at the Royal
Welsh Agricultural Show, setting out plans for
a transformational whole-system approach
to link-up food
policy, spanning production, processing, retail as
well as how the food we
produce factors into health, education, public
procurement and the circular economy.
, who has over 30 years'
experience in the Welsh hospitality sector, has been appointed to
chair the Expert Working Group that will advise the Welsh
Government on the strategy's development. Wright, owner of
Wright's Food Emporium in Llanarthne and expert on food
and food systems, will lead conversations with
producers, businesses and communities across
Wales.
Wales' food and drink supply chain is worth over
£28 billion and employs one in six workers across the
country. The new strategy, which is one of the new
Government's 100 Day
commitments, will identify what is working
well and where gaps exist. It will ensure
that food policies work better together to support
producers, ensure that we keep and
reinvest more of the value of Welsh food in Wales, and
promote food literacy and healthy eating.
The Expert Working Group will provide recommendations on the key
challenges and opportunities facing the Welsh food system, advise
on how to measure success, to build long-term
collaboration between Welsh Government, the wider public sector
and the food and drink industry. The final strategy is expected
to be presented to ministers during 2027.
Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability,
said:
Welsh farmers produce sustainable, high-quality food,
and our food and drink sector turn that world-class
produce into a wide variety of products enjoyed across Wales and
exported abroad, creating jobs and adding value. We want to
build on that success.
This strategy will bring together the whole food
system; from our farmers and fishers to our
retailers, schools and communities, so that we can
make better, more joined-up decisions for the benefit of everyone
in Wales.
I am delighted that has agreed to lead this work.
His passion for Welsh food and deep roots in the
industry makes him exactly the right person for the
role.
Newly appointed chair of the Expert Working Group, said:
Wales punches well above its weight in food and drink,
but there's so much more we can do. This is a real
opportunity to cut through and get things right for our
industry and the country.
I welcome the ambition of the
new Government, and I look forward to working with
producers, businesses and communities to make it happen.
Notes to editors
- Simon Wright was appointed Professor of
Practice at University of Wales Trinity Saint David in
2021. Former editor of the AA Restaurant Guide, author of
Tough Cookies (Profile 2004). He was the Restaurant
Consultant on all the UK and European episodes of Ramsay's
Kitchen Nightmares between 2004 and 2015. Simon was named
Food Ambassador For Wales in 2010. In 2025
Simon established a new
charity Cegin Y Bobl with the author and
Welsh food historian Carwyn Graves and others to work in schools
and the community teaching food literacy through cooking
- ceginybobl.co.uk
- The food and drink supply chain employs 16% of the total
workforce in Wales.
- Food Foundation sector turnover increased by £811 million
(8%) from 2024 to 2025, rising from £10.2 billion to
£11.1 billion. Turnover has grown by £2.9 billion (35%) since
2019. Full figures are available in the Economic Appraisal
Report.
- The Expert Working Group will operate in an
advisory capacity only and will have no legal powers or
decision-making function.
- Further details on the Group's terms of reference and
membership will be published once finalised.
