Wales’s fastest growing company is celebrating 80 years as a firm of family bakers in style – with a brand new look emphasising its Welshness.

According to the Village Bakery, from Wrexham, the rebranding marks a new chapter in their history as they continue to build on the boom in their wholesale business.

Their success at the recent Wales Fastgrowth 50 Awards was founded on developing new products and  increasing sales to well-known supermarket and high street brands across the UK allied to exports across mainland Europe and as far afield as Singapore.

But the company felt their own branding – last refreshed 15 years ago – needed updating.

They worked closely with top branding expert Allison Murray who has previously worked for some of the biggest names in the food and drinks industry, including Cadbury’s, Coca Cola and  Diageo.

She explained: “The brand needed a  more contemporary treatment, building on  the excellent reputation of this family company and the products that the Village Bakery produce so that its reputation can spread to cover the whole of Wales.”

Among those who’s been heavily involved in the rebranding over the past six months is Village Bakery Account Manager Ola Janczukowicz.

Ola said: “Allison has amazing creative flair, We gave her the ideas and she came back with a fantastic design that was liked by everyone.

“The new branding is very fresh and in a way it’s simple but very stylish with black and gold being the predominant colours.

“It is now being applied to absolutely everything, the packaging, our new website, our fleet of delivery lorries, business cards, stationery and signage.”

The signature of  company Chairman Alan Jones, the father of Managing Director Robin Jones and fellow Director Christien Jones, appears on the packaging of several products.

Alan said: “I am very proud of what the family has achieved and now the younger generation have picked up the baton and are running with it.

“When I started  we employed around seven or eight people including my Dad and me – we now have 250 people working for us.

“I am a great believer in traditional values and keeping things simple. Technology has changed but the basic principles have stayed the same. The recipe for success in business is quality, honesty and efficiency.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Managing Director Robin, who was named Bangor University Businessperson of the Year at the Daily Post’s Achievement Wales Business Awards 2013. He said: “We make great products but we weren’t as good as we should be about telling the customer about us as a family bakery.

“We’ve worked very hard over the past six months and we’ve now got something to be very proud of.

“The new branding is modern with a timeless design which tells people about our tradition and how we are a Welsh family bakery since 1934.”

A caring daughter from Abergele is looking forward to a St Valentine’s Day treat in aid of the hospice that looked after her father before he died.

Jackie Jeffrey is grateful to the local businesses who are putting on a special screening of  the film Shakespeare in Love at Theatr Twm o’r Nant, in aid of St Kentigern Hospice, St Asaph.

The event, which starts at 6pm on February 14, will also include live music, champagne, delicious canapés, and lots of Belgian chocolate.

The film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes tells the story of a  young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, meeting his ideal woman and being inspired to write one of his most famous plays.

The evening is being supported by care organisation Pendine Park, the Denbigh branch of HSBC, Denbigh Chocolate Shop, Con Amici Italian Bar and Kitchen, Homewood Bound Collections, Buckley-based printers EWS and PR firm Ceidiog Communication.

St Kentigern is an eight-bed in patient hospice with day care facilities provides unparalleled care for those with life-threatening and terminal illness, but has to rely on 80 per cent of its income from the generous donations of the public.

Jackie is the Fundraising Manager at St Kentigern but she also has first hand experience of the difference the hospice makes to families.

Her father Raymond Squire passed away at St Kentigern in 2006 following a stroke.

She said: “I can’t thank them enough for what they did for us as a family, and for what they did for my father.

“They gave him pain relief and all that sort of thing and he slowly went to sleep, and that was unbelievable.

“They  gave him dignity and he just passed away not in pain, quietly, in a room with his family around him. The hospice does that little bit extra, at that particular time in your life when so much is going on.

“You don’t want your loved ones to die, but if you know that they are and that nothing else can be done, you want some peace and tranquillity and people that understand what you’re going through, and here at St Kentigern we give that.”

Somebody else who knows the value of the hospice is Edwina Stephen, secretary of Denbigh Film Club.

She has volunteered on the reception desk at the hospice since 2007 after her mother Evelyn Lloyd-Jones died aged 75 in 2005. She spent her final week being cared for at St Kentigern following after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Edwina said: “Unfortunately my mother was only there a week out of a five week illness. But it was the best place for her to be because it just made such a difference not being in a ward at a hospital.

“There was no hustle and bustle like in a general hospital. There was peace and calm and the sole purpose was to care for her last days.”

Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE has been instrumental in organising the event.

He said: “This is the fourth time we’ve come together as different businesses to put on an event like this.

“Everybody has a great time, and it raises some much needed funds for such a worthy cause. It’s a bit of a win, win, win really.

“We all get a lovely evening out with champagne chocolates and good entertainment which has got to be good for a tenner. It’s fantastic value and I’d recommend to everyone to spend St Valentine’s Day with us.

“Every single one we’ve done so far has been a sellout. We have no reason to believe that this will be any different so I think people should get their tickets nice and early.

“The great thing of course is because all of the businesses come together, every single penny that people pay for their ticket goes to the hospice. There is no claw back for anything. It all goes to the best cause and we think it’s well worth supporting. If we all do a little we can achieve a lot.

“We very much are a community based organisation at Pendine Park, and our role in this is to make sure it all happens, to make sure the thing goes ahead, and because of our partners it’s all possible”

Mark Young, of Denbigh Chocolate Shop, will be at the event handing out choccy treats.

He said: “I’ve been working with St Kentigern for over 10 years now and it’s always a delight to work with them, and when you think that most of them are volunteers, the passion. Over 500 volunteers is amazing.

“St Kentigern do a wonderful job and make a massive difference to people’s lives at a very tough time, and they do it with a smile on their faces.

“They’re an absolute credit to the community and they provide a fantastic service. God bless them and I’m pleased to support them.

“It’s the least we can do and I’d urge everyone to come and see this film because we’re supporting a great local charity.

“You can see where the money goes, you can see the hospice and you can actually meet the people look them in the eye and say thank you for what you’ve done because they deserve it.”

Ceidiog Hughes, the Managing Director of Ceidiog Communication, said: “I am delighted that so many local businesses have come on board to help us.

“The hospice is a fantastic place. Whenever  you go there you get a warm feeling. The staff are brilliant – you can sense the love in the place

“The hospice deserves our love and affection and the Valentine’s Day fund-raiser is the perfect opportunity to show that we care.”

Jackie added: “We need to raise £1.4 million every year for the annual running costs which equates to about £3,800 a day. It’s a lot of money.

“We give 24/7 care seven days a week all of the year round.

“I think this event is a brilliant idea. They did one for us in 2012 and it raised over £3000.

“I came to the evening and it was just such a fun-filled packed evening. It was fantastic. So we’re eternally grateful for them choosing to do it again for our Hospice.”

For ticket enquiries please ring 01745 813426 or visit Denbigh Chocolate Shop