Prizes at the double for dairy at Royal Welsh Show

Award-winning South Wales dairy farmer Rhys Lougher celebrated a notable double at the recent Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells.

Rhys Lougher, 28, who runs Ty Tanglwyst Dairy at Pyle, Bridgend, entered the milk and cream competitions at the famous show for the first time and came away with the top two prizes in both classes.

"We are chuffed to bits to take first and second in both the milk and cream competitions because there are a lot of very good dairies around Wales," he said. "It’s a reward for all the hard work put in by the staff in the dairy and by our herd of cows."

Rhys, who only started bottling milk on the family farm three years ago, entered whole, semi skimmed and skimmed milk and double, whipped and single cream in the Royal Welsh competitions.

Since the recent closure of Dairy Farmers of Britain dairy in Bridgend, he has recruited six more part-time staff, taking his dairy workforce to 13. To cope with extra demand for his products, he plans to add another 20 cows to the family’s home-bred pedigree Holstein herd, taking it to 100.

The dairy is now selling 40,000 pints of milk a week within five-mile radius of the farm and Rhys has no plans to widen the distribution area.

"There is a big enough population to serve in the local area and we don’t want to add food miles to our milk and cream," he explained. "Everything we do is geared to preserving the quality of the milk, which is traceable."

Bearing the distinctive black labelling and the ’Ty Tanglwyst Dairy’ branding, the milk is delivered to homes, local shops, cafés, restaurants and ice cream makers in Porthcawl and the surrounding area.

Ty Tanglwyst has been farmed by the Lougher family for many generations. The farm comprises 25 acres of ancient oak woodland and 125 acres of lush green pastureland. The cows are cared for by three generations of the Lougher family - grandfather Richard, father John and his son Rhys - who work and live on the farm.

Ty Tanglwyst Dairy is receiving business mentoring support from True Food Marketing, as part of an initiative designed to help Welsh speciality food

and drink businesses develop the UK market. Managed by Menter a Busnes, True Food Marketing is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Food, Fish and Market Development Division.