Anna Lloyd is the founder of Bwblin (pronounced Bubb-lin), a North Wales-based fermented foods business producing organic, seasonal, live fermented foods using British-grown vegetables.
A former sailing instructor, Lloyd never planned on making a career in food manufacturing; but she had an interest in fermentation which quickly turned into a hobby.
A push from a friend over a pint to sell her creations led her to launching Bwblin in 2025.
“Genuinely, I had no idea what I would be presented with. So it was purely naivety,” Lloyd told Food Manufacture on the decision to start her company.
Lloyd wasn’t coy about the graft that it’s taken so far: “Starting a business is hard. It’s long hours, extremely long hours; you don’t get holidays.
“Every day is a huge risk; you know, will people buy this new product? Will I be able to pay the huge amount of money that it costs to run this business monthly? So the stress has been difficult.”
She admitted there had even been times when she’d considered packing it all in - but grit, determination and a strong support network kept her going.
“If I were to tell myself [at the start] one thing, I would just say, just take it slow, don’t rush anything – keep going because good things will come.”
She continued: “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that building a food business is rarely a straight line.
“There have been plenty of challenges around manufacturing, scaling production, funding and navigating regulations, but those experiences have taught me resilience, adaptability and the importance of asking for help from others in the industry.”
Climate resilience is a particular focus for Lloyd whose business model relies on UK crops.
On climate change she said: “I have to admit, I am a bit scared. As the business grows, where do I find the quantity of British-grown food I’ll need? Farmers are already struggling with production challenges, so it is a concern.
“But I’ve got to build resilient relationships with growers. Potentially, in the future, Bwblin might need its own growing patch. It might end up being a bit bigger than a little patch but having some control over our own growing could help us become more resilient and rely a little more on ourselves.”
Lloyd added that the flexible nature of her business, which works with seasonality and what’s available, also affords her more room for adaption.
Since launch, demand for Bwblin’s products have quickly outgrown Lloyd’s kitchen, promoting her to apply for a £5,000 Start Up Loan with support from The King’s Trust.
This funding has enabled her to invest in professional equipment, including a rotary mixer and vegetable preparation machines, and to move into a dedicated production space – a former dairy on the edge of Newborough Forest.
