Scottish brands 2015
8 McIntosh SCOTLAND’S best-selling Scottish ready meal brand McIntosh is on the way up, taking the number 8 position in the top 50 Scottish brands in Scotland table in 2015. And it’s been quite a year for the range of ready meals and pies that includes haggis, neeps & tatties, mince & tatties, and Scottish Stovies as well as a new selection of its best-selling Macaroni Cheese in different flavours and pack sizes – including products produced in collaboration with Simon Howie. The last year has seen a full re-brand as the brand moved from McIntosh of Dyce to McIntosh of Strathmore. The packs now also feature a new modern tartan flash.
The McIntosh brand has seen both volume and value growth
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Barr in the last 12 months, which the company puts down in part to new flavours of macaroni cheese that have brought new consumers to the brand. Distribution gains have also helped. One major retailer has listed the range in some of its stores outwith Scotland. And increased work in the convenience sector in recent months has seen the company agree new routes to market. It aims to offer all stores across the country the opportunity to pro-
vide the brand to shoppers. New product development has seen a number of new lines added to the range in recent months, including pasta Bolognese and corned beef hash ready meals. A new Burns Night convenience sector campaign launches in January promoting McIntosh haggis, neeps & tatties meal showing how easy it can be to enjoy Burns Night with McIntosh meals.
Simon Howie 9
IT’S been another good year for Scottish butcher Simon Howie moving up a place at a time when brands selling through supermarkets have faced challenges. Simon Howie sells mostly through the multiples and is in Nisa stores. This year it has increased its distribution on Morrisons counters and on
Co-op shelves and has seen growth in sales to outlets beyond Scotland in the rest of the UK. National sales manager Barry Murdoch said haggis sales had increased significantly, and that its 454g size outsells its closest two competitors combined over the Burns period.
SOFT drinks brand Barr is part of the same group, of course, as Scotland’s biggest-selling non-alcohol brand Irn-Bru. With Barr jumping from number 14 last year to 11 this year it means the group narrowly missed out on two places in the top 10. Barr provides a comprehensive range of soft drink flavours. AG Barr commercial director Jonathan Kemp likens it to a sweet shop for soft drinks. Recent developments have included the launch of a sugar-free Barr Xtra Cola and considerable success for its Bubblegum flavour carbonated drink which did so well as a limited edition it was added permanently to the range.
“Our bacon grew its market share by 5 per centage points, with a strong presence over the festive period. Our black pudding accounts for one in three Scottish purchases and our Wee Black Pudding has been a real star. Our two premium sausages became Scotland best-selling premium sausage.”
10 Mackies ABERDEENSHIRE family business Mackies diversified from dairy farming and now produces ice cream, crisps (in conjunction with the Taylor family in the joint concern Mackies at Taypack) and most recently chocolate – under the “Mackie’s of Scotland” brand. Mackie’s now produces more than 11m litres of ice cream a year. Latest flavours are Salted Caramel, and White Chocolate & Coconut. Three fla-
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vours will launch in 2016. Mackie’s Crisps increased UK sales by 70% between 2014 and 2015 and Mackies at Taypack MD George Taylor has announced that Mackies Popcorn will launch in January. From next spring, Mackie’s chocolate bars will be produced in a £600,000 chocolate factory on the Aberdeenshire farm with capacity to make 5m bars a year.
l December 2015
make up fD p58 and 60 Scot brands non alc section c D.indd 1
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