An award-winning Gwynedd food supplier is adding new lines to its offer after taking over a fruit and veg wholesaler.

Harlech Foodservice has guaranteed the jobs of 25 staff at Oren Foods in Penrhyndeudraeth.

Harlech Managing Director David Cattrall said: “Adding fresh fruit and vegetables to our offer fills a gap for our customers.

“It’s always been our ambition to be a total range supplier and buying up a well-established and respected local business fills a gap in our range of products.

“All the staff at Oren have been offered their job on the same terms and that’s something we were committed to from the start of our discussions.

“By September we will have fully integrated Oren into Harlech’s main site and those Oren staff that are happy to come down the road will be made welcome and it’s our hope that they will all come.”

Oren was launched 45 years ago as Ffrwythau DJ Fruit by Dei and Cheryl Jones from their existing greengrocers in Cricieth, and rebranded as Oren in 2021. For the past 12 years the business has been run by their son, Gethin Dwyfor.

They supply Gwynedd and Anglesey schools, and care homes and restaurants, hotels, cafes, nursing homes and B&Bs across North Wales.

Gethin said Harlech’s inclusion in the Sunday Times as one of the best places to work in the UK gave him added confidence to make the switch.

He said: It’s always been my plan to build the business and have a clear succession plan.

“My dream was for a partnership with a locally based company and that has happened and it was always going to be a condition that our staff could keep their jobs and Harlech have always given that assurance.

“I will stay on and continue to be involved and that’s very exciting for me as well. I’ve run the business for 12 years and this will be a new challenge for me with a bigger business.”

David Cattrall added: “Gethin and his team will bring valuable knowledge and experience of their products and their customers gained over the years.

“We don’t have a fresh fruit and vegetable offer and this gives us a total food service solution for our customers.

“It’s a great fit because Oren dovetails neatly with what we do and their ethos as a family-run business chimes perfectly with our approach.

“Gethin will be help us settle in and make sure we have a smooth transfer of the business and provide our customers with the right range of stock and the right produce. And that will be Welsh whenever possible.”

Oren’s 12 delivery vans, three electric-powered, have been taken over by Harlech.

The fruit and vegetables, including locally grown potatoes, supplied by Oren to Gwynedd and Conwy schools have been integrated into school deliveries by Harlech.

The addition of the Oren team takes Harlech’s staff numbers to 300 and their fleet of 65 vehicles will deliver up to 5,000 product lines across the whole of Wales, Shropshire, the Midlands and the North West.