Double success for valley food company

Mar 17 2008 by Matthew Aplin, South Wales Echo

A SOUTH Wales food company is enjoying a double celebration – signing its first deal with a national supermarket chain and being awarded a £100,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Baraka Foods has been awarded a processing and marketing grant from WAG which will fund a factory expansion and increase production capacity by 40 per cent, helping to double the size of the business in the next two years.

In 2006, Baraka was awarded a True Taste Wales Food and Drink Gold Award for its partnership with Caerphilly council, supplying the county’s schools and canteens with meat sourced from Caerphilly farmer Morgan Thomas.

Baraka Foods, based at Gelli in the Rhondda, produces chilled and frozen meat-based meals, plus cooked and marinated meats.

It has now agreed to supply Morrisons with its marinated ribs, including its Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey Ribs.

Bethan Jenkins, of WAG, said: “We are delighted with Baraka Foods’ success.”