Small animal range relaunched
Hitting the shelves across the country this month are Gower Granary’s newly branded hay and straw bags for small animals, which feature convenient built-in handles, an eye-catching modern design, helpful customer information, and bilingual Welsh branding. The farm business is also delighted to have recruited a high profile ambassador for its range, the award-winning Will’s Petting Farm, which opens its doors to visitors of all ages to get up close with a variety of farm animals.
As 18 year old business founder Will Evans says: “At Will’s Petting Farm our animals mean the world to us – and we always want the very best for them. That’s why we use Gower Granary’s premium range of small animal forage and bedding. Our rabbits, guinea pigs and other furry friends absolutely love the fresh, natural quality of the hays. The Timothy and Meadow Hay are not only tasty treats, but they also play a vital role in maintaining healthy digestion and dental care. Since switching to Gower Granary we have seen our animals thrive – with shinier coats, better condition and a happier appearance all round.”
Both Gower businesses, Gower Granary and Wills Petting Farm, will be alongside one another at the Gower Show, on August 3rd, next to another Gower Granary stockist, Country Stores of Gowerton.
Gower Granary’s products are now stocked by more than 30 independent outlets, from pet shops to equine specialists, as well as multiple retailers like Wynnstay, and CCF. They are also available to buy direct in bulk. Other local stockists include Killay Pet Shop, Swansea, Zoars Ark, Neath and Dewkes in Mumbles.
Gower Granary is a Welsh farm-based business which started making this range at its new packhouse during 2023, having taken on the concern from another farming business, HuwBryn, from Ceredigion. Speaking about the relaunch, Gower Granary’s Managing Director, Chris Harry Thomas, explained: “At the outset it was important to us not to waste the existing HuwBryn bags, but we knew that as soon as we could we wanted to bring the branding in line with the rest of our Gower Granary range, and that’s what we have done. We have also increased the weight of the contents so that customers are getting better value for money.
"We’ve also used feedback from existing stockists to help us improve the bag design. One thing was clear; people love the built-in handles and, of course, the quality of the hay and straw which is on a different level to much of what is sold today. Our bags are all hand-packed on our Gower farm, using Welsh hay and straw which is grown and harvested for natural goodness, either on our farm, or on our partner farms. In our bilingual branding we also wanted to emphasise the Welshness of our range, and Wales is known for its lush grass and for farming in harmony with nature. Our bags are also fully recyclable and use 30% recycled plastic.”
Gower Granary is a farm diversification which started making sustainable bedding and forage for animals in 2022, with some start-up support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. It has a network of stockists across South Wales and is now delivering in England, plus it is always on the lookout for new stockists.
High profile converts to Gower Granary’s chopped wheat bedding straw – its best-seller – include the Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, in Pembrokeshire, which uses it to bed a whole range of animals, from sheep to guinea pig; and Aberystwyth University, in Ceredigion, which uses the bedding in its equine centre.
The prominent Gower farm, which traces its history back to the Middle Ages, grows a herb-rich variety of grasses on a five-year rotation, which helps leave nutrients in the soil, and to further aid biodiversity, it grazes a herd of Welsh Black cattle on the farm’s cliff land. With regards to the demand the business is seeing, Mr Harry Thomas points out: “We are delighted with the response we have had so far from retailers wanting to buy local, high-quality bedding and forage for their animals. We hope to continue garnering local and regional support and plan to expand our range in the future. We really appreciate that people are prepared to help support Welsh farming, and the rural economy, by buying our range.”