Any doubts Wales rugby defence coach Shaun Edwards may have had about the availability of daffodils were answered today (Friday) by a special delivery of homegrown daffodils!
The blooms arrival was courtesy of fresh produce brand Blas y Tir, in response to the pre-match repartee between Shaun and England rugby boss Eddie Jones.
In the build-up to tomorrow’s titanic Six Nations clash in Cardiff, Wales’ national flower was caught in the crossfire banter between the two coaches.
Eddie jokingly said that Welsh fans could throw their daffodils at his team and Shaun responded by questioning if daffodils were around at this time of year.
Says Blas y Tir’s Huw Thomas, “Good natured banter is part of the rugby fans’ psyche, and no more so than when Wales plays England.
“Wearing the daffodil is part of the Welsh rugby fan’s uniform, to us it is more than a flower it is a sign of national pride and good luck.
“Just like the Welsh team our daffodils are very hardy and are not put off by the cold – and they too are more than a match for the English rose!”
To make sure Shaun and his Welsh team colleagues have a fresh supply of daffodils for the big day Blas y Tir made a special delivery to the team’s base at the Vale Resort.
Last week Blas y Tir revealed its ‘Great Daff Giveaway’ which will see the brand handing out 10,000 home grown daffodils free to Welsh rugby fans in outside the Principality Stadium tomorrow as ‘good luck’ charms.
A sign of spring, daffodils are also said to bring luck, and Haverfordwest-based Blas y Tir is also hoping to soon hit the milestone of producing 2 million bunches.
The Blas y Tir team will be out in force in Westgate Street from 12pm tomorrow handing out thousands of free daffodils to Welsh rugby fans along with pins to proudly fix the blooms to their shirts.
Blas y Tir daffodils are now available in Welsh Asda and Morrisons stores.
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, please contact:
Megan Tye
Marketing Executive, Puffin Produce / Blas y Tir
megan@puffinproduce.com
07904 772087 | 01437 766716
Background of Puffin Produce/Blas y Tir:
Haverfordwest based Puffin Produce Ltd evolved from the Pembrokeshire Potato Marketing Group, a grower’s co-operative formed in the 1970s. Puffin Produce was created in 1995 and has remained true to its collective roots being fully owned by its Welsh growers.
In recent years the company has experienced rapid growth in both market share and facilities. With Welsh Government and European Union support some £12.5 million in capital expenditure has been invested in the company, leading to 200% growth and staff numbers increasing from 50 to 125. The company’s ‘Blas y Tir’ (Taste of the Land) brand was launched in 2011 in response to demand from Welsh shoppers and retailers.
Targeted marketing has seen the ‘Blas y Tir’ brand achieve retail sales value in excess of £12 million per annum in the space of three years. While in December 2013 the company secured the prestigious Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes giving the iconic potato European-wide legal protection. Now available in most multiple retailers in Wales the brand encompasses a range of potatoes including PGI Pembrokeshire Earlies, aptly named Rudolph potatoes, and seasonal produce such as leeks, savoy cabbage, cauliflower, spring onions and daffodils.
Puffin Produce have been growing daffodils since 2007, marking 10 years in 2017. As well as being grown in Pembrokeshire, Blas y Tir daffodils are now being grown in North Wales as part of plans to expand the supply of Welsh daffodils to retailers over the coming years. Over 1.8 million bunches of daffodils have been sold over the past decade, with the number expected to exceed 2 million this year.