£245,959 grant breathes new life into Scottish meat factory
The Jerky Group will invest the funds in it will use to produce a new product range.
The Jerky Group’s director and founder Thomas Morrison told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “The facility at Forres will be used for new product development and our intention is to produce a premium line of meat products.”
He said the project would not have been viable without the grant, which will be used to buy new equipment.
New jobs
Morrison was unable to confirm the number of jobs that would be created at the site.
He said: “It depends on various business plans and it’s evolving all the time.”
As a Scot, originally from Aberdeen, Morrison said he was “really pleased” to confirm that the factory will source its meat from the north-east of Scotland.
The company has seen significant growth in the sale of its meat snacks, both in the UK and in the 10 countries it exports to.
Morrison said: “We opened up the market for beef jerky in the UK and Europe in 2000 and, since then, have pioneered many developments in this relatively new market.”
New product range
He was reluctant to give details of the new product ranges that would be developed at the site.
He said: “Our plans for the new range are for something quite unique – a brand new line of premium meat products that are unlike anything on the market at the moment. Once it launches, it will be a case of watching the other players in the market catch up.”
Morrison attributed the firm’s growth to consumers’ increasing demand for healthier snacks.
He said: “More and more people are becoming aware that they need to eat healthier snacks and that’s what we give them: snacks that are high in protein instead of sugar. Consumers want something a bit different.”
The Jerky Group products are stocked by Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrisons and BP service stations and other forecourts.
