A retired carpenter from Abergavenny has become something of an entrepreneur after designing a new kitchen appliance tool.

Veggiemate is a new kitchen aid specifically designed to help people with grip problems cut through tough ingredients easier.

Colin Webb came up with the idea after having difficulties cutting vegetable products such as Swede. Speaking to others, Colin found that many people had the same problem when preparing food with some even cutting themselves with knives when doing so.

To prevent these kind of accidents Colin thought up Veggiemate, a tool consisting of two stainless steel bases positioned at a right angle from one another with flour knife slits, each slit one inch apart from the other with the biggest being 8 inches and the smallest being 5 inches long.

The purpose of the tool is for the steel bases to hold the vegetable in position whilst cutting the various sections of the food.

After coming up with idea in 2017, Colin went to Bridgend-based manufacturing firm Dragon Laser who helped make the product.

Receiving financial support from family members Colin was then able to patent the product in the same year before Veggiemate was then trademarked in 2020.

Speaking to the Chronicle about the product, Colin said: “I’m really happy with how the product has come out. After production I paid for twenty units to start selling on an individual basis, and have managed to sell the product to people from Hull, Isle of Sheppey and Bournemouth.”

Having received positive feedback from those who have bought the product Colin now hopes to sell the product with local retailers and supermarkets.

He added: “I’ve been in contact with local suppliers including JML, Nisbetts and Cooks Galley, to see whether they would be willing to stock it and sell in their shops. I feel I have done my bit now an am willing for retailers to take the product and sell it, and for myself to receive a percentage of the wholesale cost.”