Mackie’s enjoys a record summer

28/09/2020
Mackie's factory

ABERDEENSHIRE-based firm Mackie’s of Scotland has recorded record volumes of ice-cream sales this summer.

Despite lockdown impacting food service businesses, such as cafes, bars, theatres and attractions, demand for tubs helped its overall UK ice cream sales surge 35% year-on-year, between April to August.

The family-owned business, which started making ice cream at its Rothienorman-based farm in 1986, has paid tribute to its 90 strong team of staff which has adapted, going “above and beyond” to keep freezer aisles stocked. 

Mac Mackie, managing director and one of three sibling owners, said: “Our key workers have adapted shifts to reduce numbers on site and pulled together to meet the surging demand. It would have been a huge undertaking to have achieved this in normal times, so in these circumstances it is incredible.

“We’re very aware how fortunate we are to be in a line of work that has not been severely and negatively impacted by the pandemic and we are doing everything we can to keep going and like to think that our ice cream can give customers a little lift.”

While Mackie’s sales over the summer amounted to around 70 million scoops, its fastest growing flavour was salted caramel, with sales up 86% on last year.

The company’s ‘sky to scoop’ ethos sees it create everything from milk to its packaging on site, powered predominantly by renewable energy – via four wind turbines, a 10-acre solar farm and a biomass energy plant.

In addition, work is underway to create a new £4.5million low carbon refrigeration system, the first of its kind in Scotland.

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