Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

A Carmarthen butchers has accepted a plaque advertising the protected status of its traditional family recipe ham. Carmarthen Indoor Market’s Albert Rees Butchers was given the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for its Carmarthen ham recently by the European Union. Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Leslie Griffiths visited Carmarthen Market on Friday in the company of Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member responsible for markets Cllr David Jenkins to present the plaque. PGI is one of three European designations created to protect regional foods that have a specific quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to that area. It acts like a Trade Mark and stops manufacturers from outside a region copying a regional product and selling it as that regional product. Albert Rees was set up in 1962 by Albert and Brenda Rees. In 1989, Chris and Ann Rees took over the business on the retirement of Chris's parents in Carmarthen and Pembro...

A recipe handed down by generations of a Carmarthen butcher’s family has been awarded protected status. Carmarthen Indoor Market’s Albert Rees Butchers was given the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for its Carmarthen ham recently by the European Union. PGI is one of three European designations created to protect regional foods that have a specific quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to that area. It acts like a Trade Mark and stops manufacturers from outside a region copying a regional product and selling it as that regional product. Albert Rees was set up in 1962 by Albert and Brenda Rees. In 1989 Chris and Ann Rees took over the business on the retirement of Chris's parents in Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock Market whilst his brother Jonathan and his family trade in Fishguard and Brecon. Their family recipe for making the ham, which tastes similar to Parma ham, is a closely guarded secret but the basic process involves salt curing and air dr...

Literature Across Frontiers (LAF), an initiative based at Aberystwyth University, has been selected for funding under the New Platforms strand of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union as one of three successful applicants from among 47. The grant of 455,425 Euro will support the first year of the project Literary Europe Live launched by LAF as leader of the 16-member platform. The funding was announced at Aberystwyth Arts Centre prior to the staging of “Words, Words, Words”, a multilingual poetry event organized by the North Wales International Poetry Festival and featuring poets from Wales, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia and Spain. The project is co-funded by the European Commission’s Creative Europe Programme and by Aberystwyth University, the Arts Council of Wales and the 16 members of the Literature Across Frontiers Platform. The total value of the project is €570,000. Through the Literary Europe Live project the Literature Across Frontiers Platform will: - create a foru...

A consultation process is being held to identify priorities and actions that will form a strategy for the next round of funding under the Wales Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 . The Wales Rural Development Programme is the mechanism by which the Welsh Government delivers activities which support the sustainable management of agriculture and the environment as well as supporting the growth of rural businesses and creating vibrant rural communities. The programme is funded by the European Union and Welsh Government. A spokesman said - We would like to hear what you feel are the main challenges facing rural communities. We will be available for you to pop in to see us at any time between 10:30am and 3:30pm at St Catherine’s Walk shopping Centre, Carmarthen from Wednesday, 3rd September - Saturday 6th September. Alternatively, you can send any comments you may have via an online questionnaire, which can be found on the West Wales European Centre website: www.wwec.org.uk . De...