EVERYONE loves Mackie’s of Scotland ice cream, crisps, popcorn, and chocolates – after all, they are one of Scotland’s top five foods brands, and the recipient of four Great Taste Awards.
But producing the country’s favourite snack foods isn’t the only thing this fifth generation family business is great at. Mackie’s corporate vision since 2004 is to be ‘a global Scottish brand, from the greenest company in Britain, created by people having fun’.
Based at Westertown Farm, a 1,600-acre farm in Aberdeenshire, Mackie’s philosophy is ‘Sky to Scoop’. This describes the process in which the wind provides power for the farm that grows the crops to feed the cows that make the milk (and cream) to make Mackie’s delicious treats.
Mackie’s track record on sustainability stretches back to 1983, when it became one of the first UK companies to install a grid-connected wind turbine. That original turbine no longer exists, but in its wake is evidence of a sustained effort by Mackie’s over the decades to reduce its carbon footprint, from solar panels to biomass boilers and a low carbon refrigeration system. In fact, the company produces twice the amount of energy that it uses.
‘Our Green Resolutions are the next step in further upping our eco-credentials,’ Karin Mackie, Marketing Director, said. ‘As a family business, we’re used to investing in the future, to try and protect the environment for generations to come. Our vision is to become the greenest company in Britain through a variety of carbon saving measures.’
While the Mackie’s team is always looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, the focus is on creating the highest quality treats. For example, their chocolate selections, made in small batches from scratch on the farm, have become a fast favourite for people of all ages.
‘We’ve worked on at least eight different concepts, including ginger, honeycomb, Scottish raspberries, biscuit orientated, orange in all different types,’ Kirstin shared. ‘These ideas kick-started what would be a two-year product development process.’
A holiday gift sure to please everyone is their simple yet indulgent treat, the ‘Mini Collection’, a pack of the popular original four chocolate flavours – Traditional, Honeycomb, Mint and Dark, as featured in the Scottish Field Christmas Hamper.
You can find Mackie’s chocolate and other delicious snack foods in Scottish Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Co-Op, as well as in many independent shops, or browse online their selection of gifting bundles, chocolates, merchandise and gift vouchers at www.mackies.co.uk/shop with shipping available throughout the UK.
Plus, read more of the stories behind the goodies inside the Scottish Field Christmas hamper.
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