Edinburgh PR firm Muckle Media swallows Taste Communications in six-figure deal

PR agency Muckle Media has acquired Taste Communications Scotland, founded by broadcaster and newspaper columnist Stephen Jardine, in a six-figure deal.

The “strategic growth move” by Muckle will see the Taste Communications brand retained and the existing team move over to form part of a wider group of companies.

Taste Communications was formed ten years ago and established itself as Scotland’s first specialist food and drink agency. It has built up relationships with top brands including Gleneagles, Fairmont St Andrews, Prestonfield and The Three Chimneys.

Muckle Media will integrate with Taste Communications over a 12-month period, with Taste founder Jardine becoming a non-executive director.

Nathalie Agnew (Muckle Media) and Stephen Jardine (Taste Communications Scotland). Picture: Malcolm Cochrane

Nathalie Agnew, managing director of Muckle Media, said: “I’ve long admired the work of Stephen and the Taste Communications team and the fantastic brands they work with. This deal builds upon our existing experience helping food, drink and hospitality brands to grow through strategic, creative communications, bolstering our team and client list.

“We look forward to continuing to build upon Taste Communications’ excellent reputation as a specialist food, drink and hospitality specialist agency, bringing our extensive team’s skillset to add value to Taste Communications’ fantastic clients.

“We are actively seeking further investment opportunities as we grow an exciting, nurturing and ethical agency with global ambitions, from our Scottish base.”

Jardine, who writes regularly for The Scotsman, added: “After ten years in business I wanted to find a fresh way to take Taste forward and develop what we have achieved. Nathalie has built a brilliant business with a great reputation and Muckle Media is the ideal home for the next chapter in the Taste story.”

Taste Communications is Muckle Media’s second acquisition and fourth agency brand, joining Muckle Media (creative and strategic PR), community engagement brand Platform PR, which was acquired in 2015, and Relative PR, a spin out brand launched in 2019 to support family-owned businesses with communications.

The agency will relocate to Muckle Media’s Edinburgh base at WeWork on the city’s George Street. In line with Muckle’s core values “to be kind, get results and leave the world in a better place”, Taste Communications operations will be aligned against the B-Corp framework over the coming 12 months.

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