We caught up with one of the first businesses to partner with us to offer volunteer rewards.
It seems the family behind the fantastic Forage Farm Shop and Kitchen are no strangers to volunteering and have themselves given much of their time over the years to worthy causes, so let’s begin by introducing you to the Forage Family!
Hi Katherine, it’s great to have the opportunity to chat with you today in such lovely surroundings here at Forage. Could you tell us a little more about the family behind Forage Farm Shop and Kitchen?
Sure, Tom and Matt are the Managing Partners of Penllyn Estate Farm. They are passionate about the farm to fork ethos and the positive impact that this has on the environment, local economy and community, not to mention that locally produced food is often fresher and tastier!
Their dedication to sustainable farming practices is unwavering and since 1990, we at Penllyn Estate, have diligently planted more than 50,000 trees, resulting in approximately 10% of our estate now being woodland.
I myself am the Estate’s Marketing Director. Having come from a teaching background in London, I must say that day to day life here is somewhat different.
Govinda is Forage’s Florist. You can see some of her displays in and around the restaurant here today. She really is very talented! When she is not creating such beautiful displays, Govinda also supports the running of our many events.
And last, but certainly not least, Johnny and Jo, Penllyn Estate Farm Partners whose family have farmed here since our story began in 1846.
However, we also like to think of the Forage staff as our family too; everyone plays an important role in making the magic happen. We have been lucky enough to support many of them on their own journeys’.
Sarah Davies, Marketing and Events Executive
From the busy shop and restaurant to the creativity of marketing and events, my journey at Forage over the past 3 years has been a huge learning opportunity. It’s been an honour to watch Forage grow over the years, with something new and exciting happening all the time!
Ethan, our inhouse butcher:
I’ve been Working at Forage, for the last 2 years, Forage has not only developed my career through my apprenticeship, but my character too. Working with a set of nice people with unique personalities that continually foster a sense of belonging and community, Forage is a bit like a second family.
It’s great to hear about the people behind Forage, but could you tell us a little more about the business itself?
We were due to open on April 9th 2020, but unfortunately, due to COVID, opening was delayed until the June, with full COVID restrictions in place.
The original business plan was for a farm shop, butchery and restaurant but the business has since progressed and shown natural organic evolvement.
The Estate today hosts a variety of businesses, with agriculture retaining its central focus.
Predominantly, our crops include feed wheat, oilseed rape, maize, and vegetables which along with our livestock which centre around cattle, sheep and pigs offer a direct outlet for our farm shop.
We also maintain a sizable flock of free-range chickens and have many bee hives which in turn provide eggs and honey which we offer for sale in our shop and use in our kitchen
80% of products sold are Welsh and we pride ourselves on supporting local businesses.
Our Head Chef works closely with the butchery team to ensure all of our meat is used which in turn means we can offer some more obscure and interesting, tasty cuts.
As well as offering beef, lamb and pork, we also cater for our vegan and vegetarian customers both in the Farm Shop and the restaurant.
We are proud as a family of the impact on the local community the business has had. In becoming more sustainable, we have responded to requests and feedback in order to provide something people want and become a community hub.
Why was it so important for Forage to come onboard with Value in the Vale?
Volunteering is something close to our hearts as a family. Many of us commit much of our time to giving back to the community.
Whilst living in London I was involved in volunteering for “Breaking Barriers” which allowed me to go some way in supporting refugees to re-build their lives here in the UK. It really was a very humbling experience. Since settling in Wales, I have supported the PTA at my children’s school and last year enjoyed being part of the judging panel for the Lighthouse Programme at UWC Atlantic College, where students pitched for funding for their entrepreneurial projects resulting in a positive social impact. They were very inspiring!
However, Jo and Johnny have dedicated so much of their lives volunteering.
Jo’s voluntary roles have seen her sit as a Chair of Governors as well as within Governors panel of schools and colleges including the Amelia Trust Farm. She also has undertaken voluntary work for The Sandville Centre and The Wallich Clifford (homelessness), as well as sitting as Chair of Welsh Sinfonia Chamber Music Orchestra and on the Board of Safer Cardiff.
Jo also derives much pleasure from her work as Chair of The Cowbridge Physic Garden.
Johnny has an extensive portfolio of volunteering which really began in 1985 when he volunteered for Bridgend Samaritans. Since then, he has given so much of his time in various roles from sitting on the board of Governors and chair of trust at a local school, to a Parochial Church Council (PCC) Warden. He still sits on the Governing Board at Cowbridge Comprehensive School and continues his PCC Warden role today.
From being a member of board of visitors, HMP Parc, subsequently Independent Monitoring Board including Chair, Johnny has also sat as chair of Country Land and Business Association Wales, Glamorgan Farmers Club as well as being a Member of Country Advisory Board for the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show (RWAS). His journey as president of RWAS Builth Wells began in 2019 and ended in 2023.
So, as you can see, volunteering is really something we as a family are very passionate about and this and has been a big part on developing Forages 3 core values – Quality, Sustainability and Community.
Community is close to our hearts, and supporting the local economy is a key part of that. We have even run several school trips on the farm where children learn about the whole farm to fork process.
Value in the Vale links well to these values and Forage is very proud to be able to encourage people to become more involved with volunteering and stay active within the local community.
We would love to know about any upcoming events you have planned for Forage?
On June 8th the Burn Series are hosting the Mini Burn, a family adventure race which sees entrants undertake a 2.8 km run, 8 km mountain bike, 1 km kayak & 1 km foot navigation, starting and ending at Forage. It’s a great event, suitable for all abilities, which allows adults and juniors to experience Adventure racing together.
Not long after the Mini Burn, we look forward to hosting our charity music event, Lamb Jam. This year we will be raising money to support The DPJ Foundation – A Welsh mental health charity supporting those in agriculture and rural communities. They have over 30 trained volunteers offering a call line and text service to support agricultural workers and encourage them to share the load. To date they have supported over 500 farmers in Wales.
“Pick your own Flowers” will return in August and September this year with a fantastic field full of Dahlias to choose from. Spending time in a field full of beautiful flowers never fails to bring a smile to our customers faces. You’ll also see Little Trotters offering pony rides at Forage over the summer too.
Halloween pumpkins will be in a new location this year, a 5 minute walk from Forage, and will run for longer throughout October. For those planning on coming along, tickets this year will also include a twilight session with a scary maze.
Christmas at Forage will be in its 4th year and we are thrilled to see how this event has grown from strength to strength.
We do hold smaller events such as themed dinner nights and taster events throughout the year. A full list of all events can be found on our website. https://www.foragefarmshop.co.uk/whats-on/
What does the future for Forage look like?
The future of Forage is exciting! We are always coming up with new ideas and reacting to customer feedback to improve customer experience. Having started a business with so many different facets just four years ago, we are currently going through a period of consolidation and focusing on what we do well – providing delicious food, and fun events!