Aberystwyth cider, farm-sitting and music ventures win £10,000 each
An Aberystwyth bar owner plans to develop a new range of cider after winning £10,000 in the university’s Enterprise Awards. Tŷ Seidr Bar & Bottle Shop, farm-sitting business The BZy Shepherd and live-events organiser Gwŷlan each received the same top award. Aberystwyth University announced the winners on Monday 28 September and says all three will receive support over the next 12 months.
The awards
- Tŷ Seidr
- £10,000
- The BZy Shepherd
- £10,000
- Gwŷlan
- £10,000
- University support for top winners
- 12 months
What the businesses plan to develop
Tŷ Seidr is an independent bar in central Aberystwyth run by history PhD student Ffion Roberts. It sells cider and craft beer and offers customers a collection of board games. Roberts said the prize would fund cider products she could not otherwise justify investing in, helping the business reach customers beyond the town. Agriculture and business management student Holly Zeidler runs The BZy Shepherd with a business partner. Its UK-wide farm-sitting service covers livestock care and farm maintenance, allowing farmers to travel for work or personal reasons. Fine Art MA student Camp Wender and 2025 graduate Alana Batty Hughes run Gwŷlan, which organises music festivals in and around Aberystwyth.
Four more projects receive smaller awards
A creative arts and wellbeing charity received £5,000. An educational game teaching the basics of law and a project supplying refurbished devices and digital learning to displacement-affected communities each received £2,500. Veloura, an e-commerce platform aimed at small businesses, received £1,000. The awards are funded by alumni donations and the Research Wales Innovation Fund. Judges assessed business plans; the prizes recognise the proposed ventures, rather than independently proving their commercial success.