Llaeth y Llan's 40th anniversary call for memories

Rhyl Journal

23-04-2025

Llaeth y Llan in Llannefydd, near Denbigh, is where Gareth Roberts and his family have produced superb tasting yogurt - the company opted for the less common but still correct spelling without the h - from Tal Y Bryn farmhouse since the 1980s.
The business is celebrating it's 40th anniversary this year.
Who knew that from Gareth and Falmai's first trials of yogurt in their Tal Y Bryn Farmhouse airing cupboard, back in 1985, Llaeth Y Llan would develop into a thriving producer with a modern linear production facility specifically designed to create and package 150 tonnes high quality yogurt each week!
Gareth and Falmai with young Gruff.
The yogurt is shipped all over the world, a fantastic achievement as Gareth and Falmai started as farmers with a herd of 50 cows on their farm in Llannefydd and had a local milk round.
Falmai went back to college to learn how to make yogurt with three young children at the time.
The first trials were in the airing cupboard in the farmhouse - two buckets of milk and Gruff the youngest son's nappy over the top!
Some of the very first pots were sold in Gwalia House Butchers, Abergele.
They were white pots with 'yogurt' written on them.
A spokesperson for Llaeth y Llan said: "We are very fortunate that Gwalia House continue to support us to this day and still have a fantastic range of our products.
"40 years on we now producing 150 tonnes of yogurt a week and export as far as Dubai, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.
"In the last year we have moved with the market and launched 3 new protein yogurts in Strawberry, Salted Caramel and Blueberry flavour as well as a new Kefir Range in Vanilla and Natural which has won a one-star gold Great Taste Award."
Llaeth y Llan in 1969.
Now, to mark the anniversary, the business is calling on the community to share memories and photographs of the dairy.
The spokesperson added: "We would love to hear from your readers if they have any memories of Llaeth y Llan since it was founded in 1985.
"Do they remember some of our earliest flavours, did they come for a tour, and do they have any pictures that they can share?"
Changes have taken place over the years.
The initial dairy was converted from an old calf shed, where milk was bottled, cream separated and yogurt produced all next door to the milking parlour and cow holding areas, where cows would wait to be milked.
In 1995, a more modern dairy was designed and built utilising the old redundant farm granary and other outbuildings, to fulfil increased demand for our yogurt and milk.
For the next 20 years this was Llaeth Y Llan's base of operations, bits and bobs were added along the way to increase capacity but Gareth's initial design allowed Llaeth Y Llan to grow for 20 years.
Then, in 2015 with the brand now stocked throughout Wales in four major retailers and independent stores, the old dairy was at maximum capacity.
Planning was granted to build a larger production facility next door to the old dairy, specifically designed from the start to create high quality yogurt and still on the Roberts family farm.
2017 was a big year for the family and the business, and early in the year the dairy passed its BRC audit with flying colours. On May 25 2017, the dairy was officially opened by Lesley Griffiths AM, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs.