Aldi deal is sweet news for Perthshire honey producer

Perthshire-based Scarletts Beekeepers and Honey Packers has struck a £100,000 deal to supply Aldi stores in Scotland with its produce.

Staff at Scarletts Beekeepers and Honey Packers have welcomed the new deal. Picture: Contributed

Established in 1999 as a commercial beekeeping business in Blairgowrie, Scarletts is now one of the largest companies of its type in Scotland and is best known for producing Scottish Blossom honey, which is already available at farmers markets and delicatessens.

Andrew Scarlett, managing director and owner of Scarletts, said: "This new deal will bring our Scottish Blossom Honey to Aldi shoppers in Scotland for at least a year, and we see great potential to extend that deal to include our other honey products if this one proves popular.

"As a result of this deal, we can invest in new machinery to enhance our automated packing and look to employ additional staff to meet the demand for our honey.

"The beekeeping industry has faced difficulties in recent years and deals like this are a welcome boost to Scottish beekeepers who contribute so much to pollination and the ecology of our country."

Graham Nicolson, group buying director Aldi Scotland, added: "This new deal with Scarletts is another example of our commitment to sourcing local products and supporting Scottish producers."

Aldi has 72 Scottish stores with plans to open a further six by the end of the year.

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