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A desire to move home to North Wales and change the image of the Welsh gift market saw Angharad Gwyn set up her own business.

Angharad was working as a senior producer with the BBC in Cardiff but was looking for a way to come back to the north.

She saw a gap in the market for quality contemporary Welsh gifts - rather than the tacky and stereotypical sheep and dragons on sale at many souvenir shops.

Adra was started from her new home in Llandwrog near Caernarfon in 2007 with just 30 products on sale on the online site.

Ten years on she now employs five staff - has 1,400 products on the site and more than 14,000 registered customers.

Angharad has also bucked the trend by adding a bricks and mortar retail store at Glynllifon near Caernarfon.

She said: “I wanted to come back up north but there were not really opportunities in my role as a senior producer.

"I looked at starting my own business and did a lot of research and saw there was a gap in the market for contemporary Welsh gifts and lifestyle products.

“I was keen to move away from the more traditional, and to offer modern and fresh designs and change that perception of everything being a sheep, dragon or daffodil.

“I wanted to do this in a way that promotes Wales to the wider world, giving our traditional Welsh identity a re-fresh.”

She had criteria for all the products, they had to be made in Wales, or by a Welsh designer, or feature the Welsh language.

It saw her scour the internet and also tour Wales to find craftspeople and take their products to a new audience.

The business went well and she met an untapped demand for these type of products.

The business has also moved to design and make their own stock. Many of Adra’s customers are based in Wales but over the years orders have come in from around the world.

It is also thought that the Queen’s corgis are served their meals in bowls supplied by Angharad with several orders made for personalised dog bowls from royal family members.

Future ambitions include increasing the export of products and the website is being revamped to help make this happen.

She said: “As well as supporting the jobs here we are backing dozens of craftspeople and designers across Wales, helping them sell their products to a wider audience”

As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations there will be special events at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in Bridgend and at the National Eisteddfod on Anglesey in August.

She said: “It’s amazing to think that ten years later we’re still going strong.

“I’m looking forward to celebrating with customers over the next 12 months and to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us.

“It has been a challenge at times, but there have been many highlights including opening the shop, winning a business award, and developing products that are exclusive to us.”