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Wales Online
23-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Wales' love affair with nation's favourite drink could reshape its hills and valleys
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Rows of tea plants could become a more familiar sight on the hills of Wales in the future, researchers believe. Cutting-edge science – including AI – is being harnessed to select optimum growing sites and take advantage of the warming climate. Not so long ago, Welsh hill farmers would have scoffed at the idea, and most scientists would have agreed with them. But in late 2023, trials of began on a 150-acre beef and sheep farm in Powys and the results could open the doors to domestic tea revolution. In the hope of boosting farm profits through diversification, Mandy Lloyd planted 140 Camellia sinensis tea bushes on different plots at Cleobury Farm at Heyope, Knighton. The site were selected using 'geospatial analysis', a process which matches the compatibility of crops with micro factors such as climate, light intensity and soil characteristics. If Mandy succeeds, with support from Welsh Government body Farming Connect, she will become the first UK grower to produce the crop on a hill farm. She sees it as a way of shortening supply chains by reducing leaf imports from Kenya, Sri Lanka and India. 'There is a need for an environmentally and socially responsible food and drink local supply chain,' she suggested Tea is grown successfully in Britain's lowland areas, notably in the south of England where where several tea plantations have been established. Blazing a trail in Wales was Vale of Glamorgan fruit farmer Lucy George, who established her tea enterprise near Cardiff back in 2013. She began by importing seeds from all over the world to select ones that would cope with more extreme conditions. It took her years for her tea plants to reach knee height before the laborious picking process could get underway. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now (Image: Farming Connect) Her Peterston Tea is now being sold by the likes of Llanrwst's Blas ar Fwyd. At £18 for a 12g pouch, it's not cheap, reflecting the effort involved in growing it. But there is a quality dividend, she believes. 'The climate is quite challenging,' Lucy told the BBC. 'It's very marginal conditions for tea, but to some extent it lends itself to hopefully a better flavour tea, because it grows a lot slower than it would in more equatorial regions.' To assess the potential for cultivating tea in places likes Wales, Aberystwyth University scientists have been using machine-learning to analyse UK-grown bushes. As well as assisting Mandy in Powys, the research team is assessing six varieties of tea being grown at the Dartmoor Estate Tea plantation in Devon. By identifying and quantifying metabolites at a molecular level, the team hopes to establish the best microclimates and soils. This emerging field, called metabolomics, aims to better to understand metabolic processes in plants and animals. Speaking on International Tea Day 2025, senior researcher Dr Amanda J Lloyd said: 'This study is contributing to the growing field of metabolomics by providing a comprehensive chemical profile of tea grown in a non-traditional region. 'Our findings offer new insights into the adaptability of tea plants and their potential for cultivation in emerging regions, contributing to global food security and agricultural diversification.' Further research is still needed to gain a full understanding of tea chemistry, she said. But the team remains hopeful its findings will help the UK tea growers develop climate-appropriate production strategies. It raises the prospect of the Welsh hills and their misty valleys one day boasting terraced tea plantations like those in traditional growing countries. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
23-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Wales' love affair with nation's favourite drink could reshape its hills and valleys
Rows of tea plants could become a more familiar sight on the hills of Wales in the future, researchers believe. Cutting-edge science – including AI – is being harnessed to select optimum growing sites and take advantage of the warming climate. Not so long ago, Welsh hill farmers would have scoffed at the idea, and most scientists would have agreed with them. But in late 2023, trials of began on a 150-acre beef and sheep farm in Powys and the results could open the doors to domestic tea revolution. In the hope of boosting farm profits through diversification, Mandy Lloyd planted 140 Camellia sinensis tea bushes on different plots at Cleobury Farm at Heyope, Knighton. The site were selected using 'geospatial analysis', a process which matches the compatibility of crops with micro factors such as climate, light intensity and soil characteristics. If Mandy succeeds, with support from Welsh Government body Farming Connect, she will become the first UK grower to produce the crop on a hill farm. She sees it as a way of shortening supply chains by reducing leaf imports from Kenya, Sri Lanka and India. 'There is a need for an environmentally and socially responsible food and drink local supply chain,' she suggested Tea is grown successfully in Britain's lowland areas, notably in the south of England where where several tea plantations have been established. Blazing a trail in Wales was Vale of Glamorgan fruit farmer Lucy George, who established her tea enterprise near Cardiff back in 2013. She began by importing seeds from all over the world to select ones that would cope with more extreme conditions. It took her years for her tea plants to reach knee height before the laborious picking process could get underway. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Her Peterston Tea is now being sold by the likes of Llanrwst's Blas ar Fwyd. At £18 for a 12g pouch, it's not cheap, reflecting the effort involved in growing it. But there is a quality dividend, she believes. 'The climate is quite challenging,' Lucy told the BBC. 'It's very marginal conditions for tea, but to some extent it lends itself to hopefully a better flavour tea, because it grows a lot slower than it would in more equatorial regions.' To assess the potential for cultivating tea in places likes Wales, Aberystwyth University scientists have been using machine-learning to analyse UK-grown bushes. As well as assisting Mandy in Powys, the research team is assessing six varieties of tea being grown at the Dartmoor Estate Tea plantation in Devon. By identifying and quantifying metabolites at a molecular level, the team hopes to establish the best microclimates and soils. This emerging field, called metabolomics, aims to better to understand metabolic processes in plants and animals. Speaking on International Tea Day 2025, senior researcher Dr Amanda J Lloyd said: 'This study is contributing to the growing field of metabolomics by providing a comprehensive chemical profile of tea grown in a non-traditional region. 'Our findings offer new insights into the adaptability of tea plants and their potential for cultivation in emerging regions, contributing to global food security and agricultural diversification.' Further research is still needed to gain a full understanding of tea chemistry, she said. But the team remains hopeful its findings will help the UK tea growers develop climate-appropriate production strategies. It raises the prospect of the Welsh hills and their misty valleys one day boasting terraced tea plantations like those in traditional growing countries. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I loved staying in Henry VIII's lovenest - apart from the outdoor facilities'
Waking on the waterfront, watching the ducks and geese glide by as you languish in a super-comfy Art Deco-inspired bed complete with Egyptian cotton bedding and furs... am I selling it? There are four literary-themed lodges right on the water at Leeds Castle in Kent – Ian Fleming, Noel Coward, Daphne du Maurier and our one, Gertrude Lawrence. All four were guests of the castle's former owner, Lady Olive Baillie, at some point and the lodges can be accessed through a private walkway through her Mediterranean garden on the estate. Inside are cute little touches, like old-fashioned binoculars, handy for watching the aforementioned wildlife, books, ornaments and Art-Deco decor. Things are bang up-to-date though in the bathrooms, which have walk-in rain showers and gorgeous-smelling spa toiletries. A floor-to-ceiling glass wall makes you feel you are truly immersed in nature but before you panic, there is good wi-fi and a TV too. Outside there is a bath on the deck. All very sexy in theory but perhaps not in March... I'm a game old bird so I ran the bath, poured in a bottle of the spa shower gel and stepped in. It could be fabulous but only if they up the temperature of the water somewhat. It does need to be steaming hot in Britain and it was a little on the tepid side to be honest. I sat there for a shivery 10 minutes in the name of research and a glass of bubbly helped take the chill off. In summer, though, definitely a lovely idea, and there is the added frisson that a boat might sail by... Night-time in the lodges is heaven for insomniacs like me. Complete darkness and silence (apart from the ducks and geese). In fact it was so cosy and dark even the boyfriend's snoring and night-time bathroom expeditions passed me blissfully by. Built from UK-grown timber with sustainability as the watchword (which might explain the not-so-hot bath) they are nevertheless an excellent combination of nature and nurture, peaceful and private. If you do leave the sanctuary of your lodge then Leeds Castle certainly has plenty to do, especially for families. Having no youngsters in tow didn't stop us visiting the maze, the spooky underground grotto, the falconry centre or the ice-cream cafe. The maze is deceptively difficult. Honestly, it looks tiny but it took forever, to the point where you're thinking about tunnelling through a hedge because you're tantalising close to the centre. A great place to leave any teenagers who didn't want to come out with you in the first place. With any luck you may never get them back! The way out is via a strange little underground grotto that's been lit to turn it into a spooky tunnel younger ones will love. The castle itself stands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds and is a historic Grade I-listed estate. A castle has existed on the site since 857. In the 13th century, it came into the hands of King Edward I and in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a dwelling for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Catherine's house is adjacent to the castle, a sort of 'my wife next door' arrangement, which sounds ideal to me but we all know what happened to that marriage. The present castle dates mostly from the early 19th century. Its last private owner, Lady Baillie, left it in trust to open it to the public. Today, visitors follow a walk through a historical mash-up of styles and get a glimpse of its 1920s' heyday. As you enter the Servants Hall there is a film explaining the 'Queens of Means' story of the castle. Gifted, educated, cultured and intelligent conversationalists, these queens with means were women born and raised to marry English monarchs. The latest video-mapping technology and unique lighting, sound and visual effects are used to create a compelling journey back through time. The queens, for history buffs who wish to know, are Catherine of Aragon, Eleanor of Castile, Queen Margaret of France, Queen Isabella of France, Queen Anne of Bohemia, Queen Joan of Navarre and Queen Catherine of Valois. Imagine my embarrassment when I asked the guide why my personal favourite queen, Anne Boleyn, wasn't included, only to be told that was Hever Castle – also in Kent, to be fair. Dinner and breakfast at Leeds Castle are served in the Castle View Restaurant with lovely views of the castle. The clue's in the name. If it's too chilly for the terrace, there are plenty of window tables inside to enjoy the castle lit up in all its glory at night. Food is good with a varied menu and plenty of local produce including local wine. You can get a selection of the most interesting, important and fun travel stories sent to your inbox every week by subscribing to the Mirror Travel newsletter. It's completely free and takes minutes to do. Breakfast is a combination of help yourself and table service but there isn't much chance of a Sunday lie-in as it's served from 8am to 9.45am in a tiny window of opportunity many British establishments insist on. Checkout is a prompt 10am but that does give you ample time to walk the stunning grounds and enjoy waterfalls, woodlands, wildlife and even a round of golf. In fact you are encouraged to stay all day and enjoy the grounds. Which is an invitation that's hard to refuse.
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Farming Today 29/4/25 Energy infrastructure, growing pulses for animal feed, horticulture report
One of the government's major objectives is to deliver greener energy across the UK; but to do that, thousands of acres of farmland and wider countryside are being affected, as electricity generated from offshore windfarms and solar developments is routed to the national grid. In a new report, the Institution of Engineering and Technology has outlined the specific costs of pylons and cables buried underground and on the seabed. The report estimates in the next decade there will need to be five times more onshore transmission infrastructure than has been built in the last 30 years, and four times the amount that currently exists offshore. All week we're looking into pulses. Many of us eat peas, beans or lentils as part of our diet. Pulses also make up a major part of animal feed in the form of soya. That comes mostly from South America where rainforest is often cleared to grow it. The Nitrogen Climate Smart Programme is a project looking to replace imported soya with home grown pulses. We visit a farm taking part in trials to grow pulses. The UK economy could get a boost if everyone ate more UK-grown fruit and veg according to a new report by the Green Alliance, a think tank which works with environmental groups. It says we currently import five sixths of our fruit and half of our veg but expanding horticultural production could add £2.3 billion to the national economy and create more than 20 thousand jobs. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
