Pork and bacon producer opens new £3M facility

The 3,345m² facility will be used to support the meat producer’s existing customer base and expansion into new supply chains, the firm said. More than 1,000 pigs a week were processed at Robertson’s existing site before the investment, and the meat firm aimed to increase that capacity with the new, second facility in Irvine.

£3M investment

Robertson’s bought the new facility following a £3M investment from its parent company John Robertson & Sons (Hamcurers). The investment – partly funded by a Scottish Enterprise six-figure grant – extended to renovating the facility, complete with new meat processing and cooking equipment.

The pork and bacon producer’s operations director Richard Straszewskyj said: “We are hugely proud of all the work that has gone into building our new industry-leading processing facility. We are now in a strong position to embark on an ambitious growth strategy that seeks to further cement our place as one of Scotland’s leading pork and bacon producers.

‘Significant investment’

“The new facility will be solely used to produce our exciting product lines and new consumer retail brands, underpinned by quality, value and family tradition. We have made significant investment in our workforce and look forward to creating further new job roles and apprenticeships for people in Ayrshire and the outlying area.”

Last year, Robertson’s signed a deal with discounter Aldi in Scotland to supply it with sausages, smoked loin joints and ham hock. The meat producer launched its Humphrey and Sons brand following the deal.

Meanwhile, in 2015, Robertson’s agreed a £100,000 deal with Aldi in Scotland to supply it with 20t of bacon. At the time, FoodManufacture.co.uk revealed the firm had plans to invest in its facilities in the near future.