Eight years ago Yvonne Morgan was working the beat. But when she hung up her police uniform and handed in her truncheon, it never occurred to her that a few years down the line, she would be harnessing a very different weapon – a whisk.

Already in its fifth year, Yvonne’s business, Pembrokeshire Fudge, has got people buzzing. The policewoman-turned-entrepreneur has pulled something quite unique out of the bag - a honey flavoured fudge.

Yvonne said: “When I first started out in the confectionery business, I began by baking cakes for the Narberth WI.

“When I was there, I heard customers asking for fudge, so I fed this back to my mum, who encouraged me to take the idea onboard. But she said I should try something different. She told me not to make plain fudge, but create my own recipe, and make something unique.”

Yvonne left West Mercia Police in 2003, having served as a community beat officer in Worcester for 17 years. She moved back home to Wiston upon the arrival of her second child, and here she embarked on her culinary adventure.

“My enterprise started out as an extension of my mum and dad’s business. They run West Valley Honey Farm, and their honey was the first ingredient that I decided to use.

“My mum and I experimented with the honey fudge recipe, which is the first one that went on the Farmers’ Market stall in my first year of running the business.”

And it was that very year, when Yvonne’s creation bagged her the True Taste award for Best New Pembrokeshire Product 2007.

“After that, I started experimenting with other flavours. At the time, it wasn’t a full time thing. But now, I’m at the kitchen every spare minute of the day,” said Yvonne, who also works as a teaching assistant at St Aidan’s VA School, in Wiston.

“I experiment with new flavourings as much as I can. All week I have been working on a new butterscotch fudge, which is not on sale yet. But I am very excited about it.”

And to get those unique new flavours, market research plays a big role.

“When I experiment with new flavours, the idea always comes from my customers. They would suggest something, and if it sounds nice, I will consider it and try it out. It’s basic research.” said Yvonne.

“Experimenting is brilliant, for instance for the clotted cream fudge, I researched flavours using coconut essence and banana essence.

“I’m always looking out for new ideas. Whenever I go on holiday, for example, I look at how they market their products, what labels they use, and get ideas for recipes. I also talk to chefs about flavours, and listen to customer recommendations.

“But the recipes I come up with are my own versions, I test things and put things in. I measure quantities by taste, not by the scales. And I never use books.

“The flavours I create are based on a family-inspired recipe, of which I am very proud.”

And Yvonne is not short of ideas. She currently produces five different flavours, including her award-winning Pembrokeshire honey fudge, vanilla, honey and ginger, rum and raisin and her best-selling clotted cream fudge.

The clotted cream fudge is made using Pembrokeshire clotted cream, courtesy of the local Jersey cows at Drim Farm in the next village of Llawhaden.

Yvonne said: “I am very conscious of food miles, that’s why I try and source all my ingredients locally. I think these days people are increasingly interested in food miles and local produce – they like to know where their food is coming from.

“I think that people enjoy the taste of produce better, if it’s sourced locally.”

And when it comes to distribution, as far as Yvonne is concerned, local is best - her fudge is in great demand at various cafes and shops across the county.

St Davids-based restaurant Cwtch, which recently won the Best Family Restaurant in the UK award in the Which? Good Food Guide, frequently uses Yvonne’s fudge in its desserts.

Across the road, St Davids Food and Wine, in the town’s High Street, also stocks her fudge bags, along with Tenby’s local produce café Little Fishes, in St Julians Street.

Yvonne’s fudge is also welcomed at guest houses, including the Mellieha, in Amroth. But although Yvonne likes to keep it local, some of her fudge made its way to London earlier this year, when it was ordered for a St Davids Day celebration.

At this time of year Yvonne is at her busiest, as tourism begins to escalate and hundreds of visitors make their way to the streets and shores of Pembrokeshire.

“During each season, I produce about 300 bags of fudge per week,” said Yvonne.

“It’s been a nice success story really, and I think the success has been around keeping the business small and gradually getting bigger and bigger.

“It’s incredible, when I look back to where I was five years ago when I first started, I can’t recognise it because it has built up so much. As the years go on, your confidence builds up and your business can really grow.

“It’s hard work but people love it and my product is in demand, and that is the most important thing.”

  • Look out for Yvonne’s new creamy butterscotch fudge, which will hit local shops next month. Get your bag, or any of her other flavours, at: - www.pembrokeshirefudge.co.uk - Pembrokeshire Produce Direct - Cwtch, in St Davids - St Davids Food and Wine - Little Fishes, Tenby - Carmarthen Street Market on July 27th - The Really Wild Food Festival, St Davids, on July 29th and 30th. For more information about Yvonne’s products, call 01437 731145 or email richardmorgan77@aol.com.