ONE of Mid Wales’ best known food businesses is closing after 20 years.

Neuadd Fach Baconry, based in Llandinam, will close after delivering their final supply of award-winning Welsh bacon this weekend.

Owners Lynda and Ithyl Brown are calling it a day after deciding to retire from the business that they have built into one of Montgomeryshire’s finest independent food brands over two decades.

“It has been 20 years of joy running the business,” Lynda said.

“But our highlight was winning the Great Taste Award in 2006 when our bacon was the best out of 129 entries.”

Neuadd Fach Baconry was officially opened on October 1, 1999, by then Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Öpik.

Lynda and Ithyl created the business at a time when the price to sell pigs was less than the production costs. “That is still the case today but by processing them ourselves we are able to make a living,” Lynda said.

The couple have since reared award-winning pork in Llandinam and have produced some of the country’s best bacon, sausages, gammon and other pork products.

“Sadly, no-one is taking the business on,” Lynda said.

“The piggery has been up since 1986 and could do with a complete overhaul to comply with new legislation that is in the pipeline.”

Lynda and Ithyl would like to thank all their customers for supporting their business for the past 20 years.

“We would like to also thank our employees for helping to make the Baconry a success – Jan Newey who has been with us since the start and now not only works in the Baconry but helps Ithyl with the pigs.

“Donna Gwalchmai, Justine Challinor, Peter Wooley have all been with us for over 10 years and Elaine Price who has been with us for the past two years.”

Since Neuadd Fach Baconry started in 1999, Lynda and Ithyl have attended the Bishops Castle Farmers Market on a regular basis. It is there, on Saturday, December 21, they will serve the final slices of bacon, batches of sausages and joints of gammon and pork.

Last orders will be delivered to the shops on Friday, December 20.