The Sweet Taste of Connection: Reflecting on Our Latest Taster Friday Success!

Last Friday, June 6th, our Cardiff office buzzed with energy, conversation, and the aroma of delicious food as we hosted another one of our popular Taster Friday events. And what a hit it was! We've been absolutely thrilled with the fantastic feedback pouring in from attendees, reinforcing why these informal gatherings are so important to us.

Our aim for Taster Friday is simple: to create a relaxed, welcoming environment where professionals can step away from their desks, enjoy some great food and beverages, and truly connect with others in a comfortable setting. It's about fostering genuine relationships and paving the way for future business collaborations.

This particular Taster Friday brought together a diverse group of professionals from the housing, construction, legal, and manufacturing sectors. From 1 PM to 4 PM, our doors were open for relaxed networking, lively conversation, and, of course, plenty of refreshments.

A key part of our Taster events is celebrating the incredible local talent and produce here in South Wales. We were delighted to feature the one and only Joe Granville from The Rogue Welsh Cake Company, who baked his delicious Welshcakes live on site, filling our office with a wonderful aroma. We also partnered with Copper Pig, a fantastic family-run business that created the most beautiful grazing boards using locally supplied ingredients, including their very own homemade butter. These partnerships ensure our guests enjoy top-quality food while we support other local enterprises.

The energy in the room was palpable, and we saw countless new introductions and rekindled friendships. It's incredibly rewarding to witness these connections forming organically. The feedback we've received has been overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees praising the relaxed atmosphere and the quality of the networking opportunities. Knowing that our premises can serve as a hub for such valuable interactions truly motivates us.

As Jonathan Cave, Director of Commerce Wales, aptly put it after the event: "Being able to share with each other around aspirations, knowledge and business if that's the intention, is only really possible by getting to know someone. This was so evident at the Lee Wakemans taster session last week."

This sentiment was echoed by Dr. Rosie Oretti of Grounds for Good, who highlighted the transformative power of genuine connections: "Running a business on your own can feel isolating - I know this all too well... What's made the biggest difference? Networking. Not in the formal, hand out your business card kind of way, but in the genuine, human, let's-help-each-other-out kind of way. 

Surrounding myself with supportive, collaborative people has opened doors I didn't even know existed. Some of the best ideas, partnerships, and opportunities have come from those chance, opportunistic conversations."

We designed the afternoon to be easy and enjoyable:

• 1:00 PM: Doors open, welcome drinks flowed.
• 2:00 PM: Lunch was served, sparking early conversations.
• 3:00 PM: Welshcakes and an informal showcase added to the experience.
• 4:00 PM: We wrapped up, but the connections certainly continued.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the success of our Taster Friday on June 6th! 

Your presence made it truly special. We're already looking forward to planning our next event and hope to see even more new and familiar faces there.