Mackie’s Crisps secures supermarket listings
Originally produced for a limited run, the flavour will now be a permanent edition to the manufacturer’s range in Tesco and Marks & Spencer stores, with listings in Co-op and Scotmid later this month. The crisps will also appear in Asda stores later this year.
The decision to launch a full release of the flavour followed record-breaking sales for the company – 222,000 packs, a record for the company and the brands most successful limited-edition launch.
Champion Scottish produce
Managing director James Taylor said: “We’re proud to champion Scottish culture and produce, and our more patriotic flavours like ‘Lorne sausage and brown sauce’ and ‘haggis, neeps and tatties’ have proven extremely popular both at home and further afield.
“It exceeded all of our expectations – we had a feeling it would be popular but becoming our best-selling flavour in just a few months was definitely unexpected. When retailers were interested, we knew we had to make it part of our permanent range.”
Mackie’s Crisps has been operating since 2009 and is part of a joint venture between the Taylor Farm and Aberdeenshire brand Mackie’s of Scotland. James Taylor is among the fourth generation to work on the farm and runs the business with his father, George Taylor, who works as chairman.
Factory investment
The success of the Lorne sausage and brown sauce-flavoured crisps followed a £750,000 investment by Mackie’s into a new facility in February, dedicated to the production of its Wholesums vegetable chip snacks.
The investment in the production facility on the company’s Taylor Farm includes the installation of new technology for the process, which Mackie’s has vowed to keep secret.
Meanwhile, Non-alcoholic drinks firm Sea Arch has partnered with Mangrove UK to distribute its drinks in the UK.
Currently stocked in Ocado, Amazon, Farmdrop and Virgin Wines and available at high-end bars and restaurants, Mangrove are planning on increasing volume and exploring new off-trade options as well as working on a plan for targeting the on-trade.