Aberdeenshire firm Mackie’s, Scotland’s biggest ice cream makers, have posted record revenues and profits.
The family-owned business with 95 staff saw turnover increase 11% to
£18.5 million while operating profits rose by 19% to £4.1m, according to annual accounts for the year ending May 31 2021.
A year of investment in new packaging and a new website as well as digital advertising were credited for contributing to a 40% sales hike in England and Wales, with high listings in major supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Asda, the Co-op and Marks & Spencer.
At the same time Mackie’s chocolate bars saw a 15% growth in UK sales.
Income also came from the family’s renewable energy business which delivers surplus energy to the grid and comprises a 7,000-panel solar farm, four large wind turbines and a biomass plant.
Managing director Mac Mackie said: “Against a backdrop of the pandemic’s impact on consumer confidence and rising production costs, we are very pleased to have delivered a robust performance and positive financial results which show steady growth for the eighth consecutive year.
“Our focus for the current year will be to build on the improvements that we have made to our production plant and systems to deliver increased output volume, improved quality, and greater cost control and efficiency throughout the business.”
However, Mr Mackie warned profit would be lower in the current trading year as a result of cost increases, although there will be a focus on export growth in Asia.
They continue to invest in a £4.5m low-carbon refrigeration facility to cut energy use by up to 80%.
“We have identified how important quality of product is to our customers and consumers and further investment in new freezers and our new refrigeration system not only improves our environmental credentials but has also been proven to improve the quality of our ice creams,” said Mr Mackie.
The company’s long-term aim is to become 100% self-sufficient in clean energy.