Primary school children from Ysgol Nantgaredig visited Soleau’s production site in Monmouthshire after taking part in a classroom design challenge to create their own can artwork. During the visit, they saw those designs brought to life as their cans were filled on the production line.
Pupils met the Tumptonics team behind Soleau, learned about food safety and production, watched the filling process first-hand and explored how design, sourcing and packaging all play a part in telling the story of a product.
The special printed cans used for the visit were kindly donated by Oasthouse Engineering, helping bring the design challenge to life and giving pupils a real example of how packaging, manufacturing and sustainability come together.
Chris Dennis from Castell Howell also joined the visit, helping pupils understand how the Welsh supply chain works beyond production. As a distributor committed to supporting Welsh suppliers and educational projects, Castell Howell’s involvement showed how local products can move from farm-based manufacturing into retail, hospitality and foodservice settings.
Sara Jones, founder of Tumptonics and Soleau, said: “This visit showed children that a product is much more than what is inside the can. It has a story, a source, a design, a purpose and a whole supply chain behind it. The pupils were creative, curious and full of ideas about how their own can could represent local water, Welsh provenance and sustainability.”
She added: “We are extremely grateful to Oasthouse Engineering for donating the printed cans, and to Castell Howell for helping show the bigger picture of the Welsh supply chain. Partnerships like this make community projects possible and help inspire young people.”
The visit reflects Soleau’s commitment to reducing plastic waste, supporting environmental education and creating meaningful community engagement from its base on a family farm in Wales.
The project gave pupils a practical insight into how an idea can move from the classroom to a real product, while encouraging them to think about Welsh provenance, local sourcing and more sustainable packaging choices.
