Farm businesses across Wales are increasingly diversifying into food and drink production with support from the Welsh Government-funded HELIX Programme, helping them develop new products and strengthen existing enterprises.
Delivered through a partnership of four specialist food centres across Wales, the programme provides technical expertise and innovation support to businesses looking to move beyond primary production. That includes helping farmers develop market-ready food and drink products, achieve food safety certification, validate new ideas and build the skills needed to grow sustainably.
The latest examples highlight how Welsh farms are creating additional income streams by processing and marketing their own produce, rather than relying solely on traditional agricultural sales. For consumers, it means a growing range of locally produced Welsh food and drink reaching shops, markets and farm outlets.
Supporting innovation on Welsh farms
The HELIX Programme is a collaboration between AberInnovation at Aberystwyth University, Cardiff Metropolitan University's ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre, Food Centre Wales in Ceredigion and Coleg Menai's Food Technology Centre in Llangefni.
Rather than providing direct financial grants for production, the programme focuses on technical and innovation support. Businesses can access expertise in product development, food safety, manufacturing processes, packaging, shelf-life testing and commercialisation, helping turn ideas into viable products.
The programme is available to food and drink businesses of all sizes across Wales, from start-ups and artisan producers to established manufacturers looking to develop new products or improve existing ones.
Farms adding value to their produce
Ty Tanglwyst Dairy in Bridgend is a fourth-generation family farm producing milk, butter and cream from its pedigree Holstein herd. Through HELIX, ZERO2FIVE has provided ongoing mentoring to help the dairy maintain SALSA food safety certification and supported the development of a new chocolate milk range using surplus milk.
On Anglesey, Charcuterie Môn worked with the Food Technology Centre in Llangefni to develop a new range of salami and chorizo from outdoor-reared pork, with one-to-one training, recipe trials and food safety support.
Gate Farm near Montgomery, home to Daisy Bank Dairy and Trefaldwyn Cheese, received technical, compliance and SALSA certification support from Food Centre Wales. That work enabled Trefaldwyn Cheese to secure SALSA approval and positioned both businesses to pursue larger wholesale opportunities. Dyfi Dairy near Machynlleth received proof-of-concept support from AberInnovation to validate and refine its “farm in a box” idea, assess market demand and plan a viable route to market.
Strengthening Wales' food and drink sector
The HELIX Programme also complements wider Welsh Government support for the food and drink industry.
Under the Sustainable Farming Scheme, farmers are being encouraged to build resilient businesses while continuing to produce high-quality food. The Welsh Government has also confirmed that the HELIX Programme forms part of the wider package of support available to farm businesses considering diversification into marketable food products.
By combining agricultural knowledge with specialist food manufacturing expertise, the programme aims to help businesses compete in increasingly demanding markets while supporting innovation across the Welsh food and drink sector.
What the support looks like in practice
The four farm examples show that HELIX support can take different forms depending on the business: product development and food safety mentoring, recipe trials and training, certification and compliance work, or early-stage testing of a new commercial idea.
For farmers, that technical work can help address practical barriers between producing raw agricultural ingredients and bringing a finished food or drink product to market.
For consumers, the immediate results include specific products such as Ty Tanglwyst Dairy's chocolate milk and Charcuterie Môn's salami and chorizo, developed with technical and food safety support.
Sources
ZERO2FIVE – Welsh farms diversify into food and drink production thanks to support from Welsh Government funded programme.
AberInnovation – AberInnovation Joins Welsh Government-Backed Helix Programme to Deliver Early-Stage Innovation Support for Agrifood and Drink Businesses.
Welsh Government – Sustainable Farming Scheme: Optional and Collaborative Layers: overview of support available from 2026.
