Villagers get their supplies delivered by Llamas herd
A RURAL Welsh village struggling to get food shopping delivered during lockdown has been handed a lifeline – thanks to a herd of Llamas.
Matt Yorke, 39, from Rhydwilym farm in Pembrokeshire, has been running a delivery service with a difference for vulnerable residents.
Matt, who lives at home with his wife Alex and their two year old son, owns a popular Llama trekking business in the stunning Rhydwilym valley near Llandissilio.
But with the business on hold due to lockdown, he put his energetic animals from South America to good use.
He said: “This all started as we were struggling to get food deliveries down to the valley so we had to make the journey to the shop ourselves. We are some of the youngest residents around here, so we began asking the older people if they wanted anything brought back and it just sort of spiralled from there.
“It’s a very rural area so many of the roads are more or less dirt tracks which means it’s sometimes not ideal for cars to go on, but when you have a herd of Llamas in the field outside it’s really not an issue.
“We decided to pack the shopping on their backs and take them round to people’s houses a couple of times a week to drop off the food.
“It’s really a win-win for us because it helps keep the animals fit, and also makes sure people nearby have the supplies they need, especially if they are in self-isolation.
“The response we’ve had from locals has been absolutely overwhelming as well, and while many of them are shocked at first, I think they all love to see their shopping turn up on the back of a Llama as it’s quite unique.
“There’s always a smile on their faces when we leave anyway, and it feels good to give back to the community where we can.
“The Llamas love it as they are very social animals, bred for carrying heavy packs through the mountains of south America, so they are basically in their element when we’re doing deliveries like this.”
Former IT consultant Matt left his job in London over five years ago after a health scare forced him to reassess his life in the city.
Soon after he moved to Pembrokeshire where his Llama tours now host thousands of visitors every year, as they walk the Welsh countryside alongside the popular creatures.
Matt also offers guests the chance to spend the night in a luxury wooden cabin aptly called the Llama lodge, surrounded by the animals on the property.
He said there has been a spike in requests for the Llamas to go to weddings and other family gatherings recently, which is keeping them all busy.
He added: “People always ask me how I got in to this as it’s such a world away from my old job in the city, but honestly it’s a great lifestyle and I couldn’t be happier.
“I don’t know why but I’ve always been fascinated by these animals and when I moved back to Wales I decided that life was too short not to take a chance on something I was passionate about, so here we are.
“My wife agreed and despite never having run my own business before, I took the chance to buy the Llamas and started running the tours.
“It’s snowballed and become very popular around here now, with people coming from all over the country to go trekking with us.
“As I said, they’re very friendly creatures and quite low maintenance, so it really is a pleasure for me to be around them as much as I am every day.
“With the business not running at the moment they can get bored being out in the fields all day so this was the perfect opportunity to get them out and about, and we’ll keep going for as long as it lasts.
“It’s a strange time for everyone but hopefully we’re putting a smile on people’s faces with the deliveries until we can get back to normal.
“We want people to know the Llamas are still here, and we hope they come to pay us a visit as soon as it is safe to do so.”