Scottish haggis manufacturer Macsween has had to increase production by 30%, shifting to a two-site operation at its Dryden Road headquarters in Loanhead, Edinburgh as product demand rockets.
The firm has just clinched a contract to supply 155 Tesco stores nationwide, having already sealed a deal to supply three lines into a number of Asda stores. The company aims to introduce products into all major supermarkets, boosting current annual sales of £2.8M by a further £1M.
Before expanding its facilities, Macsween’s capacity was 800t per year. It estimates that capacity has now been raised by about 240t.
Shifts were moved from 45 hours per week to 50 hours per week last year in anticipation of the increased demand. An evening shift was then added and 20% more production line personnel have been taken on, with Macsween now recruiting shift supervisors. And the factory leaps into life at 5am each morning, rather than 6.30am.
It has moved packaging and despatch to a second site, freeing up space for processing in its original factory. “This year we have seen some of our biggest sales increases,” said director Jo Macsween. “We have had a good summer in terms of haggis sales - a lot of our marketing and recipe ideas have been extremely popular. We do export to Europe, but our main focus at the moment is the English market.”
Macsween’s expansion was helped by securing a £400,000 grant via the Scottish government’s Rural Development Programme in April.