The McLarens, who own the 5,000 acre Bodnant Estate in Conwy, have pumped vast amounts of their own money into making their dream project a success.
But just five years after opening, accounts for Furnace Farm Limited - the company behind Bodnant Welsh Food Centre - show that the company incurred a net loss of £1,497,447 during the year to January 31, 2017, and has a balance sheet in deficit of £8,146,487.
The majority of the long term liabilities recorded in the accounts relate to loans provided by the four directors, who are listed as Hon Michael McLaren QC, his wife Caroline McLaren, Maurice McMenemy and Katherine Joan Himsworth.
The financial report states the company is "principally funded by loans from one of the directors".
Who is Michael McLaren?
The 59-year-old, who was educated at Eton, and received a First Class Honours law degree from Christ’s College, Cambridge, is the son of Charles Melville McLaren, 3rd Baron Aberconway and Ann Bullard. He inherited the Bodnant estate in 2003 on his father’s death and maintains an active role in the garden to this day.
Mr McLaren has been a practising barrister since 1981, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2002.
As a QC he specialises in commercial litigation, regulation and professional discipline. He has particular expertise in all aspects of aviation law, being ranked in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.
Nightmare for couples who planned their dream weddings at crisis-hit Bodnant
Amongst his high priority cases includes advising the relatives of a UK national oil-worker killed in a helicopter crash in Norway and the relatives of a UK national killed when Malaysian Airlines MH17 was shot down over Ukraine.
Just before opening Bodnant Welsh Food Centre Mr McLaren proudly told the Daily Post: "We wished to be food producers, not just retailing what others had made – so our dairy uses local milk to produce artisan cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter.
"We thought visitors would like to take home with them Welsh food made locally with low food miles. We have a huge farm shop, really more of a food hall."
