Cider, farm-sitting and music ventures win big at university enterprise awards

Nation.Cymru staff

A cider-making entrepreneur, the founder of a UK-wide farm-sitting business and the organisers of music festivals in west Wales have each won £10,000 to develop their ventures.

They are among seven winners in the 12th annual Enterprise Awards run by Aberystwyth University to support businesses and projects created by students and recent graduates.

PhD student Ffion Roberts received £10,000 for Tŷ Seidr Bar & Bottle Shop, an independent bar in central Aberystwyth selling cider and craft beer alongside a collection of around 100 board games.

Ms Roberts, who studies in the Department of History and Welsh History, plans to use the money to produce a new range of cider products and expand the business beyond Aberystwyth.

She said: “When you run a small business, every single piece of spending has to earn its place, and there is always a list of things you would do if the money were there.

“This award allows me to take an investment in the business that I would not otherwise be able to justify.

“It gives me the opportunity to grow the product, reach people well beyond Aberystwyth and strengthen the business for the long term. I am absolutely thrilled to receive it, and hugely grateful for the support and belief in what I am building.”

Agriculture and Business Management student Holly Zeidler also received £10,000 for The BZy Shepherd, a farm-sitting business operating across the UK.

Ms Zeidler and her business partner provide services ranging from livestock care to general farm maintenance, allowing farmers to travel for work or take time away from their farms.

She said support and contacts provided by the university had helped her develop the business alongside her degree.

Ms Zeidler added: “The one-to-one support from the Enterprise Team encouraged us to apply for the Enterprise Awards, which has opened up another exciting opportunity for us to develop the business.”

The third £10,000 award went to Fine Art MA student Camp Wender and 2025 graduate Alana Batty Hughes, who run Gwŷlan, a live events company organising music festivals in and around Aberystwyth.

Awards

Four other projects received awards ranging from £1,000 to £5,000.

Fine Art undergraduate Hannah Hannon-Worthington was awarded £5,000 for a creative arts and wellbeing charity delivering community-building workshops.

Law student Tomos Jenkyn-Jones received £2,500 to develop an educational video game designed to teach people the basics of law.

Data Science graduate Ghakanyuy Fabrice Bongbarah was awarded £2,500 for One Device Multiple Impact, a social enterprise providing refurbished devices and digital learning to communities affected by displacement.

A further £1,000 went to Data Science graduate Nadhirah Zulkifli for Veloura, an e-commerce platform aimed at small businesses.

The awards are supported by donations from Aberystwyth University alumni and the Research Wales Innovation Fund, with winners also receiving support from the university over the next 12 months.

Professor Angela Hatton, the university’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation, said: “The collaborative and diverse nature of the ideas in this competition are worth celebrating.

“There is real variety in this year’s winning ventures, from businesses in the creative, agricultural and food and drink sectors to social enterprises and digital innovation.

“We are particularly excited to see partnerships that will deliver positive products, services and growth within the local community.”

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