A couple who met while working at the factory that makes Jammie Dodgers are celebrating 25 years of marriage, marking a milestone that began on the production floor.
Jenny and Colin Smith, from Cwmbran in South Wales, first met while working at the factory that produces the well-known biscuit with its heart-shaped centre. They married in 2001 and now have two children. Both continue to work at the same site where they first met.
“We never imagined that coming to work would lead us to finding each other,” said Colin. “The factory has been such a big part of our lives and our family story. I know a lot of couples probably wouldn’t enjoy working together, but we love it.”
Jenny recalled how their first meetings happened during her daily role on the production lines.
“I remember first seeing Colin around the factory. My job at the time was to do weight checks on all the lines, and it was checking the Jammie Dodgers where we first met.
“We got on really well and I used to look forward to my chats with Colin, so much so that I used to time my weight checks to when I knew he was working on the line!
“Once we got together, things moved quickly, and we were married within a couple of years. Although we don’t work on the same shifts anymore, it’s great to be working in the same place that our love story began and making the same love-heart-shaped biscuits!”
Jenny joined the Llantarnam factory in 1990, with Colin starting a year later in 1991.
The Llantarnam bakery, operated by Fox’s Burton’s Companies, employs more than 700 people and remains a major local employer. Since opening in 1939, the site has supported community groups and charities, raising more than £10,000 in the past 18 months.
Rebecca Phillips, General Manager at the Fox’s Burton’s Llantarnam bakery, said the couple’s story reflects the culture of the workplace.
“We wish Colin and Jenny all the best as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this year. Their story is a great reminder that sometimes the sweetest stories start in the most unexpected places.
“It’s also a wonderful example of what makes our bakery so special. In the 87 years the bakery has been running, we’ve seen generations of families, lifelong friendships, and romantic relationships blossom over biscuits.”
Jenny recently appeared in an episode of BBC One’s Inside the Factory, broadcast on Tuesday 6 January, which showed how Jammie Dodgers are made. The programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.