Bangor shoppers will get a taste of North Wales' finest produce at a pop-up shop

Llanfairfechan farmer to man tills in pop-up shop for BBC Wales programme for one day only in Bangor on November 29.

A pop-up shop selling local produce from North Wales is to open for one day only in a busy high street.

Acting as shopkeeper for the day will be Llanfairfechan farmer Gareth Wyn Jones, who is hoping to use the occasion to reconnect consumers with local food and drink suppliers.

He has issued a call-out to all producers in North Wales to come and join him in Bangor High Street on Saturday, November 29.

“We’ve taken over a disused shop which is in a really prominent position, right by H&M; and Debenhams,” he said.

“It’s a really big place, to be honest. There are lots of premises to let on the high street, which is a shame, but we hope to give shoppers a treat by showcasing the finest produce that North Wales has to offer.”

The idea for the pop-up shop sprang from a new BBC Wales documentary series which is exploring the wider food industry in Wales.

In the three-part series, yet to be named and to be screened next year, Gareth will leave his farm behind to delve into the way food gets from farm to fork.

It will also assess the roles played by supermarkets and the government in driving local food sales.

Filming is being done by the same team behind the BAFTA-nominated The Hill Farm series produced for BBC Wales.

Gareth, now a TV veteran, has often used his media profile to push the case for local food – but without always appreciating the challenges that confront this worthy ambition.

He hopes to set this right in the new series. “We’ve already filmed the local butcher in Bangor and he was telling me how there used to be 26 butchers shop in the city, now there are only one,” he said.

“I’d love to see more local produce on sale in local shops, but I’m on a journey to see if this is really possible.

“Shoppers like the convenience that supermarkets offer, but can they play a bigger part in driving local food sales?

“If I can set up this shop in one day, and stock it with fantastic food and drink from across North Wales, what could the supermarkets achieve with all the power they have behind them?”

Gareth has already used his Twitter and Facebook accounts to invite local producers to join him. As a result a number of producers are already on-board, including Anglesey based Hooton’s Homegrown and Tatws Bryn from Llanllechid.

But he needs more, and believes they can play a part in helping to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers.

“By getting producers to come into towns, and talking about their food, and the way it is produced, I think it might help change the way that shoppers see their food.”

To get involved, contact Gareth via Facebook or Twitter, or phone him on 07932 798931.

20/11/2014