Tunnock's: 120th birthday party that'll take biscuit

Published on Thursday 31 December 2009 21:42

THE man behind some of Scotland's best-loved biscuits is planning to celebrate the family firm's 120th anniversary with a massive party.

• Boyd Tunnock, the grandson of founder Thomas, tucks into a caramel wafer. Picture: Donald MacLeod

Tunnock's, which makes caramel wafers and teacakes among other favourites, was established in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, in 1890. What began as a small bakery has expanded over the decades into a major factory producing millions of treats for fans at home and abroad.

The company, which employs about 500 workers, is headed by Boyd Tunnock, the grandson of founder Thomas Tunnock. He said of the year's anniversary: "It's a great achievement. We're going to have a party to celebrate our 120th anniversary."

He admitted: "I don't think grandfather could ever really have imagined it would last."

Thomas Tunnock paid 80 for a shop in 1890. It was during the 1950s that the bakery started producing its now-famous biscuits, starting with the caramel wafer, and then caramel logs, snowballs and teacakes in 1960.

That decade also saw Tunnock's begin exporting to Newfoundland. Hollywood star Cate Blanchett can be seen tucking into a snowball in the 2001 film The Shipping News, which is set in the Canadian province.

Teacakes are, meanwhile, said to be a favourite of the rock band Supergrass, who once visited the Uddingston factory to watch them being made.

Mr Tunnock said: "Next year will be the 50th year of the teacake, but caramel wafers are really what we've built the business on.

"We export them to Saudi Arabia," he said. "There's two containers a month going out there, about 1.4 million caramel wafers. They're wrapped the same way as they are here, but with the wrapper in Arabic and English."

He added: "It's nice to think that we, as a family business, can take on the multinationals."

The National Trust for Scotland paid tribute to Tunnock's this year, creating a Robert Burns-style homage to snowballs and teacakes, the most popular products. The trust came up with the play on two of Burns's most popular works after the biscuit company donated a five-figure sum to the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire.

The museum will provide space for the country's leading Burns collection, bringing the Bard's life and works to the greater public.

A National Trust spokeswoman said: "Tunnock's is one of our Scottish icons, and I thank Boyd and the company for their incredibly generous donation, one which will help towards ensuring the legacy of Burns is preserved for generations to come."

Plans to celebrate the 120th anniversary might never have happened if a downturn in the company's fortunes in the early part of the decade had continued. In 2002, the company's earnings fell to their lowest for years, prompting speculation that the brand's appeal was waning.

However, it is now booming again, with global demand for their products increasing.

>BULLETS<Meanwhile, new accounts for the Tunnock business reveal a slight drop in profits, despite sales rising by almost 4 million.

Before taxation, profits in the year to 28 February, 2009, fell to just under 1.1m from 1.4m a year earlier.

The Companies House documents show that overall turnover rose to 35.6m from 31.8m in 2007-8.

Writing in the annual report, Tunnock's directors described trading during the year as "satisfactory".

The accounts also confirm that overall staffing levels dipped to 561 from 572 the year before, though the wage bill was broadly unchanged at 11.2m.

The highest-paid director received a total of 149,179, up from 137,721.

The results show the firm has managed to ride out the recession, despite fears that consumers would cut back on treats during the downturn.

SWEET SUCCESS

NEW accounts for the Thomas Tunnock business reveal a slight drop in profits, despite sales rising by almost 4 million.

Before taxation, profits in the year to 28 February, 2009, fell to just under 1.1m from 1.4m a year earlier.

The Companies House documents show that overall turnover rose to 35.6m from 31.8m in 2007-8.

Writing in the annual report, Tunnock's directors described trading during the year as "satisfactory".

The accounts also confirm that overall staffing levels dipped to 561 from 572 the year before, though the wage bill was broadly unchanged at 11.2m.

The highest-paid director received a total of 149,179, up from 137,721.

The results show the firm has managed to ride out the recession, despite fears that consumers would cut back on treats during the downturn.