The patriarch who founded one of Scotland’s oldest wholesale butchers was on hand yesterday to show Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead through his firm’s new £4million processing plant.
Malcolm Allan marked his 95th birthday as the Malcolm Allan facility at Larbert, near Falkirk, was officially opened.
It is 60 years since Mr Allan opened his first butcher’s shop in Bonnybridge.
The business, now run by his sons, Gordon and James, has its wares in nearly every town in Scotland, supplying pies, steaks, beef olives, burgers, sausages, mince, black pudding, fruit puddings and haggis to Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Spar outlets. A pending new supply deal with Co-operative Food will extend its reach even farther into most communities in Scotland.
James said the facility opened up new opportunities for the business, which has boosted staff numbers by 35 to 150.
The site at Larbert is used for sausage, black pudding, burger and mince production. Malcolm Allan still has a boning hall at Bonnybridge, and a bakery at Falkirk.
But James said the plan is for the bakery to move to a new 12,000sq ft facility next door to the new 25,000sq ft meat processing plant within the next two years.
The business has traditionally concentrated on the core Scottish market, where it is the number two food brand after the iconic Irn Bru fizzy drink, according to research firm Kantar Worldpanel. But the move allows it to target other parts of the UK as production capacity has been boosted by 50%.
He added: “The meat trade is tough and competitive, but that is the nature of the business. We still produce traditional butchery products and that’s where we still have a bit of an edge because it is genuine butcher’s sausages, butcher’s pies and butcher’s mince that we sell. We have 63% of the market for Lorne sausage in Scotland.
“We also still very much support the live auction system and buy prime cattle out of the sale ring. In the north-east, Iain Mathers does that for us.”
James said by consolidating bakery and meat production on one site the business would benefit from significant operation efficiencies.
The new meat-processing facility was backed with a £1million grant from the Scottish Government’s food processing, marketing and co-operation scheme.
Malcolm Allan, which had a £15.7million turnover last year, used to have 20 butcher’s shops.
Mr Lochhead said: “Scotland’s meat manufacturing sector serves up great benefits to the Scottish economy, generating turnover worth £1.2billion and employing 7,300 people in 2011.
“I’m delighted that I am opening the new facility on the day Malcolm Allan is celebrating his 95th birthday. He has worked incredibly hard to build and create a successful company and his commitment is inspiring. I certainly hope I’ll be as fit and active when I’m Malcolm’s age.”
Gordon Allan said the new facility allowed the firm to not just meet current demand, but to look farther afield for sales to develop the business further.
Falkirk Council leader Councillor Craig Martin said its business support team had helped Malcolm Allan ensure it could continue to base its growing operations in the area. “The company is an important contributor to the local economy through its commitment to employment and apprenticeships and is a prime example of how a business can thrive in this area as a result of the support on offer and its central location.”