Aberdeenshire ice cream maker Mackie’s is celebrating its most successful year in renewable energy production.
Between June 2023 and May 2024, the firm generated more than 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green energy – using it to produce its ice cream and chocolate products.
The results come after the Westertown business invested more than £6.5 million in renewable energy infrastructure at its farm over the past decade.
The family business also saw its ice cream sales increase year on year, despite wet and windy weather “dampening the public’s appetites for ice cream”.
It exported an excess of 7.5m kWh to the national grid – the equivalent of powering the electricity required on average for 41,000 homes for one month.
Renewable energy’s role in producing ‘world-class’ ice cream
Mackie’s managing director Stuart Common claims renewable energy is central to the firm’s ethos of producing “world-class ice cream and chocolate” with minimal impact on the environment.
He said: “We’re proud that our investment in wind, solar, and biomass energy has enabled us to achieve a milestone year in energy generation.
“Contributing over 7.5 million kWh back to the national grid last financial year alone.
“This achievement reflects our commitment to sustainability and the importance of renewable energy to the future of our business.
“An underlying goal of farming and family businesses is to pass things on in a better state than you found them.
“And renewable energy has long been an important part of that vision at Mackie’s.”
Mackie’s has four wind turbines, a biomass energy plant, a 10-acre solar farm and also a low-carbon refrigeration system.
Mr Common added: “We’re keen to explore additional ways to integrate sustainable practices into everything we do, from developing our products to how we operate.”
Mackie’s renewable energy plan
The firm’s “sky to scoop” approach integrates every stage of production from traditional dairy farming to packaging production – powered by the renewable energy.
Mackie’s said it demonstrates its longstanding dedication to “becoming renewably self-sufficient and to environmental responsibility”.
The level of energy independence has helped position the company as “a leader in sustainable production” within Scotland’s food and drink industry.
Earlier this year, Mackie’s agreed deals which have seen its products land in over 1,000 additional UK stores.
The deals, which include Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s, are worth more than £1 million.
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