THREE new Meirionnydd food and drink businesses have been shortlisted for national awards.

The shortlist for the inaugural Wales Start Up Awards has been announced, with over 250 entries across 14 categories received from start-up businesses throughout the length and breadth of Wales.

Brighter Foods in Tywyn, Dyfi Distillery in Corris and Gwin Dylanwad Wine in Dolgellau have all helped Meirionnydd become a thriving hotbed for new industries.

The awards will celebrate ambitious and indigenous start-up businesses that are making a real impact to the Welsh economy, and they are the first and only awards that are exclusive to companies who have started in business within the last three years.

Brighter Foods, who recently announced they have created 40 new job opportunities in Tywyn after doubling the size of their factory, is in no less than four shortlists including Food and Drink Start-Up of the Year, Manufacturing and Engineering, North Wales Region Start-Up of the Year and Rural Start-up Of The Year.

The Dyfi Distillery, a micro distiller of premium gin and liqueurs using wild Welsh botanicals, will compete against Brighter Foods in the Food and Drink Start-Up of the Year category.

Gwin Dylanwad Wine will be representing Dolgellau in the Retail Start-Up of the Year category, just weeks after the company released a successful book on wine tasting.

The winners of each category will be announced at the awards evening which will be held on Friday, 16 September at The Depot in Cardiff.

For information about the Wales Start Up Awards, visit www.walesstartupawards.com

See the full story in this week’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News