Agri Food Centre Manager - Angela Sawyer

Angela joined the team in 2002 and is the Centre Manager here at Food Centre Wales. With an extensive career in senior technical management in a wide range of food and drink businesses, she understands the challenges facing businesses of all sectors and sizes.

Angela uses her experience in funded projects and commercial activities to steer the Centre to provide a comprehensive technical support system for businesses across Wales and beyond. Providing facilities and support designed to foster a robust and vibrant food and drink manufacturing sector, Angela is ideally placed to lead the centre in supporting all businesses with their technical and commercial needs.

Business Operations Manager - Catherine Cooper

Catherine joined the team in January 2019, developing an excellent and highly successful training offering before becoming the Business Operations Manager in September 2024. Bringing 20 years of industry experience in food manufacture when she joined, Catherine is ideally placed to understand the challenges and barriers businesses face and identify their solutions.

Using her in-depth understanding of compliance and food safety and processing, together with her experience of funded support projects and Business Development strategy, Catherine’s role is to ensure Food Centre Wales functions effectively and offers the best possible service to clients.

Technical Manager - Mark Jones

Mark Jones joined the Food Centre Wales team as a Food Technologist in 2013 before becoming Technical Manager in October 2024, becoming well established as an excellent process driven technologist with a particular talent for developing award winning cheese. A food science and technology graduate with many years of experience in industry, working in senior roles in production and technical departments has given Mark the ideal experience to lead the technical team here at Food Centre Wales.

Mark ensures the best possible service for funded and commercial clients, leading on innovative and effective events and projects designed to support a resilient and robust food manufacturing sector.

Senior Food Technologist, Gina Sarracini

Gina joined the team in 2024 as Senior Food Technologist. With BSc(Hons) Agri Food Production degree and over 20 years' experience in the dairy and fresh produce industry including her own food manufacturing business in fresh pasta. Also, with an Environmental, sustainability and renewable energy experience. 

As senior food technologist Gina supervises the technical team, providing technical assistance to food and drink companies, preparing proposals for project development work, presenting and assisting in the delivery of events, seminars and workshops.  

Food Technologist - Rhian Jones

Rhian is a Food Technologist with over 18 years of experience working across a number of sectors in the food industry. Since joining Food Centre Wales in 2005 she has developed a particular interest in NPD, meat and ready-to-eat technology working with clients to bring new products to market. In addition, she has expanded her portfolio to become an accredited Food Safety Trainer Officer for courses provided by the Food Centre.

Food Technologist - Gerallt Morris

Gerallt Morris joined the team as a Food Technologist in 2015. Gerallt has a Degree in Chemistry and has several industrial based qualifications, he has worked in the Food Industry for over 10 years. Gerallt Specialises in Quality Systems, Quality Control, Process Efficiency and has helped several companies from the NPD stage to getting a product on the shelf.

Food Technologist, Karolina Davies

Karolina joined the team in October 2024, bringing 17 years of experience in food manufacturing, with a background in fresh meat, ready meals, and bakery. She specialises in Food Safety Management Systems, Quality Control, Auditing, process validation and Good Manufacturing Practices. Karolina works closely with food processing companies, sharing her expertise in product development, production and process improvement. Her focus is on helping businesses enhance their Food Safety practices and standards.

Food Technologist, Amanda Newton

Facilities Coordinator - Ceris Moyle

Ceris Moyle joined Food Centre Wales in 2014. With many years food manufacturing experience and a Level 3 diploma in Food & Drink Engineering Maintenance, she has responsibility for the physical facilities here on site. Ceris ensures that Food Centre Wales equipment and building facilities are well maintained and equipped with the technology our clients require for the technical support.

Assistant Food Technologist, Phoebe Evans

Phoebe joined Food Centre Wales in October 2024 as an Assistant Food Technologist. She holds a master’s degree in International Agri-Business and Food Chain Management, with a strong interest in sustainable practices and innovation within the agri-food sector. In her role, Phoebe supports food technologists on new projects, gaining valuable experience in food safety, manufacturing processes, quality control and new product development.

General Assistant - Amanda Draper

Amanda ensures the hygiene and food safety standards are maintained to a high level in the Innovation and Manufacturing hub.  She supports Food Technologists and assists food businesses who are utilising the food processing facilities.  Amanda was self-employed in catering and the food sector for 20 years and been at Food Centre Wales for 13 years.

Centre Co-ordinator - Annwen Gale

Annwen Gale joined the team in September 2017 as a Centre Coordinator. Her role is to provide administrative and co-ordination assistance for each department at the Centre.

Annwen has worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years in a range of different venues within the private and public sector.

Business Development Officer (Marketing and Communications) - Ceris Griffiths

Ceris joined Food Centre Wales in August 2019 and leads the Centre’s marketing and communications, including website management and bilingual content creation. She also plays a key role in planning and delivering the Centre’s events.

Since earning her Business Management degree in 2005, Ceris has gained extensive experience in the hospitality and retail industries.

Whether you run a food company in Wales, work for a multinational food manufacturer, or are taking your first tentative steps to set up a food micro business – Food Innovation Wales is the go-to resource for support, advice and creative ideas to help get you started, expand, and find solutions to technical operational conundrums.

The food industry has become an increasingly complex arena in which to operate: with global competition, a greater focus on price, complicated procurement, and increasing ethical and environmental scrutiny, developing a food business is a real challenge. Little wonder, then, that many companies fail due to lack of expertise or resource in specific areas.

That’s where Food Innovation Wales comes in: our experienced team of experts, based at Food Centres across Wales, are on hand to support the food industry by providing advice and encouragement, technical support, innovative ideas, and guidance on regulatory and legislative complexities.

Food Innovation Wales’s team of internationally recognised food industry experts are available to assist clients navigate their way through a complex range of food disciplines, from nutrition and dietetics, environmental health, new product development, factory and workplace design, quality assurance, hygiene, food safety, marketing and efficiency.

With decades’ worth of experience, Food Innovation Wales is dedicated to helping food businesses grow, innovate, compete and reach new markets. Join the countless food businesses that have already benefited from the help and advice of our team, and contact us now to explore ways that you can find greater success in the food industry.

www.foodinnovation.wales

The HELIX project is a Welsh Government Initiative designed to help develop the food and drink industry in Wales.

The Welsh Food and Drink Industry can take advantage of the much needed funding available to help their businesses grow in the marketplace.

New and existing SME food and drink manufacturers are able to access bespoke assistance from Food Technologists that is specific and tailored to the individual business.

Project HELIX will support food manufacturers in:

Innovation –fast-tracking new innovative products and food company start-ups

Efficiency – assisting businesses to reduce waste during food processing thereby securing costs savings and waste reduction

Strategy – seeking to ensure a world-class industry through advanced skills in key areas, such as food technology

Food Centre Wales is a key partner in the Welsh Government initiative, in what is a major boost to the Welsh food industry and economy. Expected to create 370 new jobs across the different centres, while safeguarding a further 2,000 and contributing over £100m to the Welsh economy. The HELIX project was developed by Food Innovation Wales (FIW), which is a partnership of the 3 food centres in Wales:-

• Food Centre Wales, Ceredigion
• Grŵp Llandrillo Menai's Food Technology Centre
• Zero2Five Food Industry Centre, based at Cardiff Metropolitan University