How Taylor family took their crisps from fourth-generation Scottish farm to Aldi stores across UK

A Perthshire crisp maker is eyeing further expansion after securing its first supermarket listing outside of Scotland.

Taylors Snacks’ products are made at the fourth-generation Taylor family farm in Errol and they have become a fixture in many Scottish stores since a rebranding from Mackie’s Crisps in 2023.

The crisps will now be available in all Aldi stores across the UK, marking the snack brand’s first supermarket appearance south of the Border. The discount chain will stock four of the firm’s most popular flavours - mature cheddar and onion, pickled onion, lightly sea salted, and sea salt and cider vinegar. The current contract sends nearly 220,000 packets of crisps to Aldi stores around the country, with an expectation of more listings in the future.

James Taylor of Taylors Snacks outside an Aldi store with his company's crisps. Picture: Julie Howden

Taylors Snacks employs some 110 people and is preparing for further growth in response to “significant” retail and customer demand.

Managing director James Taylor said: “We are confident that Taylors will be as well received around the rest of the UK as our snacks have been in Scotland, and look forward to bringing our unique, thick cut crisps to even more people around the country.

“We have enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Aldi for over 14 years since our days trading as Mackie’s Crisps, and we couldn’t be more pleased to partner with them in our first foray into supermarkets outside of Scotland. We will always be proud of our Scottish roots and will remain based in Perthshire as our company grows, bringing more jobs to the area. As our brand continues to evolve, we are excited to bring more and more of our ranges to a wider audience.”

The firm’s core range of thick cut crisps also includes flavours such as Aberdeen Angus and haggis and cracked black pepper. The company also offers “lentil waves” and popcorn.

The business was in its previous incarnation known as Mackie’s at Taypack, a joint venture founded in 2009 between the Taylor family and Aberdeenshire-based ice cream and chocolate producer Mackie’s of Scotland. The Taylor family bought out the latter’s share in 2022, with all crisps, popcorn and lentil waves products rebranding as Taylor Snacks.