Carningli Dairy of Newport is cream of the crop!

Carningli Dairy, run by the Roberts family of Llwyngwair Farm, was the only Welsh dairy to be acknowledged in the awards having only been established a year ago.

The dairy's milk from their herds of pedigree Brown Swiss and Holstein Friesian cattle comes in distinctive blue (whole milk) and green (semi-skimmed) bottles adorned with a motif referencing nearby Carningli 'The Mountain of Angels'.

"If you're a farmer you see a cow's face on the label," Dylan Roberts who runs the diary with mum and dad John and Merryl said.

"But townspeople tend to see a halo and a pair of angel's wings!"

The third generation of his family to farm Llwyngwair, 37-year-old dad-of-two Mr Roberts whose great-grandmother delivered milk to Newport homes a century ago is on a mission to promote farming diversity.

"The more we talk to as many people as possible the better idea they have of what farmers actually do," he explained.

"We decided to bottle our milk due to environmental factors it is so much more acceptable than using plastic containers that end up in landfill.

"Milking is carried out by a pair of robots which allows me to make deliveries in a refrigerated van during milking time.

"The response has been brilliant customers tell us the milk tastes like the milk they remember from years ago.

"People also like the fact they know where it's coming from.

"And the milk from Brown Swiss cows tastes far creamier."

Mr Roberts' parents took the opportunity to present a selection to Prince Charles during July's Royal visit to Nevern. Dylan, married to Becca and a dad to Llew and Ellis, now undertakes deliveries six days a week to Nevern, Moylegrove, Dinas, the Gwaun Valley, Newport, Crosswell and Brynberian.

"The pandemic has made things tough for everyone," he reflected. "I'm sometimes the only person people see in the day. "It's times like that when I feel we are delivering more than just a product."