Teulu 'Llaeth y Llan' Perthyn (Trystan Ellis-Morris)

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-Hello there.

-Today, I'm near Llannefydd

-in northeast Wales.

-I'm meeting a family that runs

-a very successful business.

-Welcome to Perthyn.

-I'm Owain Roberts,

-the eldest son of Llaeth Y Llan.

-I run the business with my parents,

-Gareth and Falmai, and my sister.

-I'm Llior, Owain's sister.

-Mam and Dad

-started the business in 1985...

-..and we grew up here,

-immersed in the business.

-We've been very aware of it

-ever since we were born.

-My job is to run the company

-day-to-day...

-..and make sure the yogurt

-is of the highest quality.

-It's my job to look after the sales

-and marketing side.

-I make sure the sales team

-raises the brand's profile...

-..and gets it out there.

-Owain and Llior,

-you have a wonderful place here...

-..near the village of Llannefydd.

-Is it nice

-to be able to work at home?

-Yes, it's great and it's not far

-to walk to work every day.

-Owain, have you always worked here?

-Yes, as I'm the eldest son,

-I've worked here from the start.

-As the eldest sibling...

-..it felt natural for me

-to take over the business.

-How far from your parents' house

-do you live?

-I built a house

-about 200 yards up the road!

-But that means

-I can never take a sickie!

-Is it too close at times?

-Yes, it can feel that way, but

-someone has to be on site every day.

-Llior, you left home

-and moved to London for a while.

-Yes, I left home

-to study in Newcastle upon Tyne.

-When I graduated,

-I moved down to London...

-..to work in the fashion industry.

-I lived in London

-for almost nine years...

-..and worked

-for different fashion houses there.

-What brought Llior back here, Owain?

-Was the business expanding

-and you needed her to come on board?

-Yes. Marketing is a crucial part

-of running a business.

-I felt confined to running

-the company from day to day...

-..and I felt that our marketing

-could be improved.

-We sat down

-and discussed it as a family.

-My father asked Llior

-to rejoin the company.

-Do you remember receiving that

-phone call from your father, Llior?

-Yes, and it came

-as a bit of a shock.

-I wasn't shocked

-to be asked to come home...

-..but I was surprised because I had

-no experience in the food industry.

-I was a bit apprehensive...

-..because I wasn't sure in what way

-I could help the business...

-..even though

-it's my family's company.

-It was a gamble

-to leave my job in London...

-..to come and work

-in a totally different world.

-I was leaving fashion

-to focus on food.

-Is it good to have Llior back home?

-Is it good to have Llior back home?

-

-Yes. We work really well together.

-Llior's strengths are obvious.

-She put an advert out on TV

-and that really boosted the brand.

-You don't live

-as close to work as Owain, Llior.

-No.

-No.

-

-She can escape!

-I live in Chester,

-so I have quite a long commute...

-..especially because

-I have a family of my own.

-I have a young daughter.

-My work as a mother means I have

-to drop her off at her nursery...

-..before I come here.

-You recently welcomed a new addition

-to your family too, Owain.

-Yes, my wife recently gave birth

-to William Dafydd Roberts.

-He has two big sisters -

-Anni and Martha.

-William is the new addition

-to the family.

-Do you hope to see your children

-in charge of the yogurt pots?

-Well, I'd like to think the business

-will stay in the family.

-Owain, this is

-where the process starts.

-Yes, milk from tanks outside

-passes through this pasteurizer.

-It goes into tanks, where we add

-ingredients like protein and sugar.

-We then cook it up

-and it's ready by morning.

-So by the morning, you end up

-with a product like this, Owain.

-Yes. This tankful cooked overnight.

-It's now ready to be processed.

-These are the important ingredients.

-This is where the magic happens!

-Yes - these are the flavours.

-When the yogurt is ready,

-we pump it up to the hoppers...

-..and we add ingredients to flavour,

-such as the rhubarb we have here.

-This must be one of the final steps.

-This must be one of the final steps.

-

-Yes, the yogurt is packed here.

-This is our main machine.

-The pot comes down, yogurt goes in,

-the lid is attached...

-..the heat sealers close the seal...

-..and the pot goes down the line.

-Owain, what's happening here?

-This is the packing area.

-They attach lids here and put them

-in plastic or cardboard trays.

-What's the next step after this?

-We chill them quickly...

-..to lower the temperature

-from 20 degrees to four degrees.

-The yogurt's warm at this point?

-Yes, it comes out of the tanks

-at around 20 degrees.

-How many pots do you fill every day?

-How many pots do you fill every day?

-

-Around 30,000.

-Every day?

-Every day?

-

-Yes.

-Dear me!

-Gethin here has been

-with us for five years...

-..and he's one of our most

-reliable workers.

-Did you hear

-those kind words, Gethin?

-Yes.

-What's your job here, Gethin?

-What's your job here, Gethin?

-

-A bit of everything.

-I run the machines...

-..and I cover

-when people are ill or on holiday.

-I transfer pots to the fridge

-and I help pack the yogurts.

-You've been here for five years,

-so you must enjoy your job.

-Yes.

-What sort of boss is Owain?

-What sort of boss is Owain?

-

-It depends!

-It's very cold in the fridge.

-We've seen the pots on the other

-side, so what happens here?

-We need to get the product

-down to four degrees quickly.

-They're stored on pallets here,

-ready to go to the supermarkets...

-..and local customers.

-You employ local workers.

-You employ local workers.

-

-Yes, this is Bedwyr.

-Hello, Bedwyr, how are you?

-Hello, Bedwyr, how are you?

-

-Very well, thank you.

-I'm sorry to disturb you.

-What is it you do, Bedwyr?

-I'm working here for a year.

-I'm taking a year out before

-hopefully studying to be a vet.

-A difficult course.

-A difficult course.

-

-Yes, it is.

-Are you enjoying it here?

-Are you enjoying it here?

-

-Yes, I am.

-Rhys, my brother-in-law,

-is responsible for distribution.

-What do you do from day to day?

-I make sure that customers

-get the right products.

-Make sure there are no mistakes

-and that things run smoothly.

-Do mistakes happen?

-Do mistakes happen?

-

-Problems do arise sometimes.

-It's my job to talk to customers

-and sort out any problems.

-Is it nice to work for the family?

-It is, yes. I enjoy my job.

-What exactly do you do?

-What time do you start every day?

-I'm usually here

-between five and six in the morning.

-I just make sure

-that the factory runs smoothly.

-That the machines are working,

-and that the process runs smoothly.

-What are the staff's hours?

-We work shifts here.

-Some work from five until two,

-others from six until three.

-It varies according to our needs.

-Do you sometimes ask your father's

-advice if there is a problem?

-Dad's always there to give advice.

-He has taught me well

-and I respect his opinion.

-Our parents gave me and my sister

-a solid foundation to run a company.

-We're grateful to them.

-As brother and sister

-and as a family business...

-..we still talk to each other

-and ask for their help and advice.

-They have been in business

-for such a long time.

-It's in their blood

-and it won't leave.

-It's in their blood,

-and it's now in ours as well.

-Gareth and Falmai,

-we're in your polytunnel.

-This plastic greenhouse gives you

-a lot of pleasure, I'm sure.

-Yes.

-Now that Falmai

-is running a bed and breakfast...

-..we take pride in feeding guests

-with fresh produce from our garden.

-Strawberries, raspberries, grapes,

-lettuce, new potatoes.

-It sounds perfect to me!

-You established the business,

-many years ago.

-Let's turn back the clock

-to the beginning, Gareth.

-We started

-with a small 50-acre farm...

-..and about a dozen dairy cattle.

-It was tough raising

-a young family on 50 acres.

-We had to find a way

-to raise the value of our produce.

-We decided to diversify

-and take a very traditional route.

-We started a milk round.

-That meant

-we could add a little bit...

-..to the income

-brought in by the dairy business.

-We sold unpasteurized milk

-in those days.

-Why did you choose

-to make yogurt...

-..rather than cheese,

-ice cream or butter?

-What happened was

-that circumstances drove us to it.

-First, there were issues with

-salmonella in unpasteurized milk.

-We lost business

-and we had to respond to that.

-The way we did respond

-was to begin to pasteurize milk.

-It was in the mid-1980s when

-everyone wanted low-fat produce.

-That was the starting point.

-We had to separate the cream

-from the milk...

-..and our first marketing venture

-was to sell the cream.

-It was good quality cream...

-..and the demand for it

-grew and grew.

-We were left with skimmed milk...

-..and we had to try to work out

-what we could do with it.

-We had to sell both the cream and

-the skimmed milk to make a profit.

-We had to sell both products

-if we wanted to make a profit.

-We did a lot of head scratching

-and lots of research.

-That's when

-we first looked at yogurt.

-Neither of us knew how to make it,

-so we went to college to learn.

-You then had to invest

-in machines to make yogurt.

-Well, we started with two buckets

-in the airing cupboard!

-We didn't invest much money

-at first!

-Bear in mind that we were farmers!

-How did it develop over the years?

-We first sold our yogurt

-to a butcher's shop in Abergele.

-We sold it in white plastic pots

-and we wrote "yogurt" on them.

-Labels were handwritten on pots!

-Labels were handwritten on pots!

-

-Yes, but we couldn't do that today.

-It was fine to do that 30 years ago.

-And so, 30 years later, you've

-passed the baton to Owain and Llior.

-Is it difficult

-to hand over the reins completely?

-Yes, of course.

-That's a big question!

-Yes, and fortunately Falmai

-has found a niche for herself...

-..running a five-star

-bed and breakfast here.

-I'm the biggest problem!

-I find myself

-in some sort of no man's land.

-When it's busy and something

-needs to be done urgently...

-..the old man

-is quite handy to have around!

-I get busy in the garden here...

-..but I can down tools

-and do whatever needs to be done.

-It gives us great pleasure.

-Yes, we're glad the children

-wanted to carry on here.

-If they didn't, we'd have

-to think twice about what to do.

-Join me after the break...

-..to find out how Llior

-runs her side of the business.

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-Welcome back

-to Llaeth Y Llan, Llannefydd.

-I'm here with brother and sister

-Owain and Llior Roberts.

-They run the business nowadays.

-The marketing and sales side

-of the business...

-..means I have to travel

-across Britain...

-..especially around Wales.

-I attend meetings

-with all sorts of buyers.

-Buyers working for supermarkets,

-in wholesale...

-..or buyers working for retailers

-we don't yet supply.

-Llior, travelling

-is part of your job.

-How much travelling do you do?

-Marketing and sales

-involves quite a lot of travelling.

-We attend meetings with buyers

-who work for supermarkets...

-..and wholesalers.

-We also do food shows,

-consumer shows and trade shows.

-We went to a trade show

-at the NEC in Birmingham last week.

-We were there for the whole week.

-Supermarkets and local shops

-store your product.

-Where can we buy it?

-Our yogurt is currently available

-in every part of Wales.

-Our yogurt is available in

-supermarkets throughout the country.

-You can purchase it in Tesco,

-Morrisons, Co-op and Asda.

-I've seen several

-television commercials.

-It's an exciting time for you.

-Television is an expensive

-marketing tool...

-..for us as a company.

-We took the gamble

-of paying for a television advert...

-..because we can't

-be present everywhere.

-We hoped the commercial...

-..would help sell the story

-of the brand and the product.

-How many flavours are there?

-How many flavours are there?

-

-It currently stands at 14 flavours.

-We'll launch our vanilla flavour

-over the coming month.

-We sell everything from natural

-yogurt to strawberry flavour...

-..and from raspberry to toffee.

-We also produce unusual flavours

-such as banoffee.

-What's your best seller?

-Believe it or not,

-our most popular flavour is toffee.

-Really? I wonder why.

-I expected you to say strawberry

-or natural yogurt.

-I think it's because the

-toffee flavour ticks so many boxes.

-It appeals to young people,

-children, men and women alike.

-I think toffee flavour yogurt

-is really versatile.

-You can eat it for dessert

-or for breakfast.

-It tastes really good...

-..even if I say so myself!

-The business is growing and we've

-decided to build a new extension...

-..to create a much bigger dairy.

-This will help us

-grow the business even further.

-We'll demolish the old cowshed

-to create this extension.

-Llior, tell me more

-about this extension.

-It's a busy period for us.

-We've received support

-from the Welsh Government...

-..to build a new dairy.

-This will support

-our expansion plans.

-It will also enable us

-to produce new lines.

-It will definitely also mean...

-..that we can continue to send out

-top-quality Llaeth Y Llan yogurt.

-This extension

-will help us make sure...

-..that we keep producing yogurt

-for years to come.

-This also means we'll have

-more room in the old dairy.

-We now segregate sections,

-in terms of allergens and so on.

-The old dairy could be used

-to produce something different...

-..without affecting the new dairy.

-Mam and Dad

-built an extension in 1995.

-I'm sure

-this will be the biggest project...

-..my sister and I

-will tackle during our careers.

-It's a continuation

-of our parents' work in 1995.

-These are exciting times

-and the expansion is necessary.

-I've spent a lot of time with you

-over the past few days...

-..and it's clear you're united

-and you think alike.

-You're both committed

-to the business.

-Do you have disagreements?

-Does that sibling element

-come into play?

-This may sound

-like a bit of a cliche...

-..but as we're

-the son and daughter...

-..it gives it a different dynamic.

-It can change the way we think.

-We certainly

-bring a lot of passion into it.

-Yes, we do bring lots of passion.

-We try to get that passion

-from our staff...

-..but when you bring a family member

-back into the company...

-..and you work with your parents,

-you see that passion.

-Llior and I know that sometimes,

-that passion can boil over.

-Yes, things can blow up,

-but it doesn't happen very often.

-No, and it can be good...

-..because we're trying

-to get to where we want to be.

-Could you work with your parents?

-Could you work with your parents?

-

-And with your brother or sister?

-We work well as a family...

-..but our parents tend to treat us

-like children sometimes...

-..rather than as fellow directors.

-Yes, things can get

-a bit jumbled up.

-Mam and Dad can think about

-what happened yesterday...

-..but Owain and I must focus on

-issues discussed in board meetings.

-We must make sure

-things are carried through.

-On the other hand,

-they're still Mam and Dad...

-..and they can still treat us

-like 15-year-olds!

-They don't talk to us as adults

-who have children of our own.

-That's the real challenge.

-They've got to see us as individuals

-who have families of our own...

-..but I'm sure

-that will never change!

-No, but they always offer us lunch.

-Even if we argue, they always

-offer us lunch or a cup of tea.

-A cup of tea makes everything OK.

-A cup of tea makes everything OK.

-

-Yes, and that's great.

-Owain and Llior, thank you

-and good luck with the expansion.

-Thank you.

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