If you took a glimpse inside a neighbour’s food cupboard, the odds of you spotting the distinguishable Walker’s Shortbread branding are high – even more so over the festive period.
The buttery flavour and melt-in-the-mouth texture of its shortbread are unrivalled, regardless of the strain supermarkets put themselves under in an attempt to replicate it.
It has been almost 125 years since Walker’s Shortbread was founded.
The business’ lifespan is five times more than the average company on Standard and Poor’s 500 Index in 2020, which is just over 21 years.
But unlike many others, the brand has continued to evolve throughout the decades and is now considered one of the most beloved in Scotland. Its products are also enjoyed by people in more than 120 countries across the globe.
Walker’s Shortbread
Walker’s Shortbread, situated in Speyside, has a core staff of approximately 1,300 which peaks at 1,500 in the summer.
The team prides itself in baking the highest quality products to original family recipes, using only the finest ingredients possible to obtain.
The current portfolio consists of around 1,000 individual products and formats. Biscuits, oatcakes, mince pies, and fruit cakes are among them.
But the biggest sellers are undoubtedly the classic shortbread fingers in various formats – from single fingers to minis and much larger multi-packs. The recipes are, of course, a tightly guarded secret.
Technical and new product development director at Walker’s Shortbread, Richard Walker, joined the company in June 1994 after attaining a degree in Biochemistry at Aberdeen University.
He believes the continued popularity of the shortbread is “down to the quality and consistency of the product”.
“We use the best possible ingredients we can from our key partners, whom we’ve dealt with for many years,” says Richard, from Aberlour.
“Creamery butter, wheat flour milled in Scotland, British sugar and oat flakes to name a few.
“We make everything fresh to order so we can service all of our customers with the freshest possible product.
“We give a lot of care and attention to quality and strive to produce the best products we possibly can in all of our bakeries in Aberlour and Elgin.”
Christmas 2022
It is estimated that around 40% of the firm’s shortbread is consumed specifically during the festive season.
A series of products are released in the run-up to and during the season, making for superb gifts and stocking fillers – or for indulging on your own.
They include Christmas spiced shortbread, shortbread stars, shortbread trees, and festive shortbread fingers. Their prices vary from £2 to £33.
Richard said: “I’d say the larger festive shortbread shapes are really good, produced with a very popular recipe with the added novelty of being shaped as Santa, bells, stars and trees.
“They are a great treat for sharing at a family get-together.”
But it isn’t just shortbread to look out for on the shelves or website.
“We make several delicious cookies such as salted caramel and chocolate, oatflake and cranberry and choc chunk and hazelnut,” he added.
“Besides those, we make traditional, wholesome oatcakes which are another of my personal favourites.”
‘Scotland at its finest’
Richard went on to say he has “a few more” favourite products.
“Fingers are hard to beat and I love a Petticoat Tail, which is a little sweeter in taste.
“My overall favourite and ‘hero’ product are the Highlanders, which have the crunchy demerara sugar coating around the edge.
“It has been fascinating seeing those being made in our village bakery as a boy, rolled and cut by hand and the transition to now being produced on our larger lines.”
The traditional, red tartan branding of Walker’s Shortbread is another reason we Scots adore the firm, which was founded in 1898 by 21-year-old Joseph Walker.
Despite shortbread being relatively straightforward to create with just three main ingredients, Walker’s Shortbread has continued to stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
“We have perfected this traditional Scottish delicacy and worked hard to maintain the quality and taste, which has allowed us to export it to all four corners of the globe,” he added.
“Shortbread is a very simple product to make with three main ingredients, but it is the way they are combined and crafted into finished products that make the difference and our aim to achieve our aspiration to deliver ‘Scotland at its finest’.”
Conversation