With B Corp month underway, this is the second in a two part Welsh B Corp stars series highlighting food and drink successes in Wales.

Involving a comprehensive approach that requires engagement from all aspects of a business, B Corp considers how a business operates, its structure, its employees and production processes, alongside transparency and accountability.

B Corps can reap the rewards in terms of engaged and motivated staff, greater networking opportunities, better customer loyalty and advancement in innovation.

While the drinks sector in Wales claims its B Corp bounty, food businesses are also achieving the gold standard in equal measure.

The Welsh Government Sustainability Cluster is continually growing and provides a valuable resource for food and drink businesses to flourish and succeed. Through sharing information and best practice, businesses across Wales can access expertise and innovation, market insight, event branding, as well as one to one support for B Corp certification.

Speaking of the growing community of B Corp businesses in Wales, Mark Grant, lead of the Sustainability Cluster said:

“The Sustainability Cluster is thrilled to see the growth of B Corp Welsh food and drink companies, who are leading the way in sustainable and ethical business practices.

“These companies are not only committed to reducing their environmental impact, but also to creating positive social change within their communities. Their success is a testament to the growing demand for responsible products, and we are proud to support their efforts towards a more sustainable future.”

These Welsh B Corp stars are making a difference.

Halen Môn

Halen Môn, which is located on the banks of the Menai Strait, has been steadily putting Anglesey on the map with its naturally filtered, award-winning sea salt since 1997.

While the company continues to scoop awards for its products, it also works tirelessly to ensure that its people and the planet are its priorities.

In 2023, Halen Môn joined the B Corp community, and according to its co-founder Alison Lea-Wilson, it made perfect sense.

Alison said:

“As our whole business is founded on the principles of sustainability, it was a natural step to seek objective accreditation to join our BRC Grade AA+.”

Following support from Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Sustainability Cluster, the company gained insight into how to improve its practices as well as access to an extensive knowledge bank.

Alison explained:

“The Cluster was instrumental in supporting us. We were able to access individual help on specific questions and policies.”

While Halen Môn embraces its B Corp, the company is never complacent.

Alison said:

“It is early days for us. We are using the work we’ve put in as a benchmark for improvements. We are establishing a working group at Halen Môn to take different aspects forward and improve everything from our energy consumption to our waste recycling. We’re keen that our staff take an active a part as possible and apply what we do at work, at home.”

Hilltop

Hilltop, which produces quality honey in Newtown, mid Wales, has grown exponentially since its humble ‘back garden’ beginnings on the top of a hill.

Founded in 2011 by its managing director Scott Davies as a result of a successful beekeeping hobby, the company now boasts multiple awards and accreditations. In 2022, Hilltop became the first honey brand in the UK to become B Corp certified.

Speaking about the company’s motivation to pursue B Corp, Scott said:

“We wanted to make a positive impact, both socially and environmentally, and felt that our principles have always aligned with the B Corp philosophy.

“By acting socially and responsibly with product, people, and processes, we saw the accreditation as an opportunity for long term sustainability of our operations, to drive improvements in the right areas and to be the first to market in our sector.”

With the support received from the Welsh Government Sustainability Cluster, such as training towards ISO 14001, Hilltop are continuously improving their operations. Since seeking B Corp accreditation, the company has experienced many benefits such as improvements in energy efficiency, waste reduction, packaging, community engagement and employee engagement.

Wholebake

Located in north Wales and founded in 1984, Wholebake is a manufacturer of healthy snacks, including gluten free. The company has always placed entrepreneurial flair and customer needs at its core, but alongside this has always sought to operate with a conscience. With these core values indicating a natural fit, Wholebake became certified B Corp in 2021.

Simon Faithfull, Chief Growth Officer at Wholebake said:

“We are totally committed to embedding B Corp’s values, and we already have workstreams up and running to help us to continuously improve. Being part of the B Corp community allows us to be involved in the movement and to help lead change in the food industry.

With support from Welsh Government through its Sustainability Cluster, the company is fully embracing B Corp and what it represents, Simon continued:

“The next step for us is to really embed the B-Corp principles into our business, knitting these together with our existing impact strategy. From this we have developed a roadmap of areas to improve over the next 3 years, seeking to have a positive impact on our communities.”

For further information about what support is available for Welsh food and drink producers visit food-drink.wales/business