A Scottish ice cream brand has recorded a 15% increase in turnover through an upsurge in UK and international markets.
Turnover at family-owned Mackie’s of Scotland rose from £17.7 million in the 2021 financial year to reach £20.8 million last financial year.
Mackie’s saw its UK market share in premium ice cream rise by 13%, while its export sales grew by 27%. This has enabled Mackie’s to expand its workforce to more than 100 employees for the first time in its history, which included the appointment of it is first People and Development Manager as well as a new Managing Director taking the helm within the last year.
Ice cream sales were the backbone of the strong revenues; Mackie’s sold more than 13.3 million litres of ice cream. Mackie’s also saw a 33% rise in the sales of its chocolate.
This growth has been supported by years of heavy reinvestment into the business’s sustainability, machinery and people, improving its efficiency and capacity and laying the foundations for further growth.
However, the company saw its overall costs increase by 23% over the financial year. Rather than passing on this cost to consumers, Mackie’s absorbed as much of these rising costs as possible. This move was rewarded by consumers, resulting in an 11% increase in Mackie’s penetration, which is a measure of how many households in the UK buy a product.
Managing Director of Mackie’s, Stuart Common, said: “We are thrilled to announce that thanks to the hard work and dedication of our incredible team making our delicious products, Mackie’s has reached this turnover milestone. Despite the challenges of rising costs and supply chain issues, our staff have gone above and beyond to continue producing Scotland’s favourite premium ice cream to the highest standards.
“This landmark achievement reflects the progress Mackie’s has made over the years and shows the strength of our brand and products. We’re extremely proud of what we have accomplished together and look forward to achieving even greater success in the years to come.”
Backing up its ice cream sales, the company saw a 30% increase in its renewable savings and revenue; with 70% of the business’s power being renewably generated on site with solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass boilers.
Looking ahead, Stuart added: “We are looking to invest to further increase our production capacity in order to widen the availability of our products across the UK. We plan to install new equipment and production lines enabling us to scale up manufacturing while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and quality.”