Gwynt y Ddraig cider brewery to expand following £500,000 loan
Cider brewery Gwynt y Ddraig in Gwynt, Wales, is to expand after receiving a £500,000 loan.
Set up by businessman and former welder Andrew Gronow, the brewery began as a hobby in 2001 but benefitted from Welsh government funding soon after and now produces 20 varieties of cider and perry, all made with pressed British apples at the Llest Farm in Llantwit Fardre. Its brands include Orchard Gold and Black Dragon.
With products available across seven countries and found in UK pubs including JD Wetherspoon, the brewery now has plans to expand further and develop new products.
Oliver Jenkins, investment executive at Finance Wales, who offered the loan, said: "[Gronow] has shown remarkable commitment to Gwynt y Ddraig for well over a decade. Gwynt's blends have created a real impression in the industry and it is now ready for further global expansion."
Finance Wales was established by the Welsh government in 2001, and provides commercial funding to small and medium-sized businesses throughout Wales. In 2014-15, it invested over £66m to growing companies.