Mackie’s ice cream scoops record annual sales

Ice cream producer Mackie’s is lining up expansion in the English market after scooping record annual revenues thanks to its new chocolate offering.
Mackies staff at the family farm near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. Picture: Ross JohnstonMackies staff at the family farm near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. Picture: Ross Johnston
Mackies staff at the family farm near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. Picture: Ross Johnston

The family-run Aberdeenshire food producer has recorded a 20 per cent rise in turnover to £16.7 million for the 12 months to May, marking a new sales high.

Operating profits for the financial year surged by 60 per cent to reach £2.1m.

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Mackie’s pointed to chocolate as a key driver of growth, with sales up 63 per cent on the previous year following a recipe refinement and the introduction of a smaller 35g bar across its four flavours.

Ice cream sales also grew – beating the wider market which declined by 1.8 per cent – while the company’s vanilla-free traditional flavour became the fourth best-selling take home tub in the UK, and remained the leading product in Scotland.

Overall export revenues grew by 72 per cent with a particular drive in the US and Far East. Mackie’s is now looking to push its market presence in London and the south-east of England.

Mac Mackie, managing director and one of three sibling owners, said: “This has been a quite extraordinary set of results for the business.

“While this set of results undoubtedly benefited from 2018’s glorious summer weather, beyond that this was no fluke. We’ve worked over the years to grow, cut costs and diversify the business across products and markets.

“I’m especially delighted to see our chocolate range maturing and further establishing itself as a go-to choice for many at home and abroad.

“This past year’s success is enabling us to make a serious investment in improving our operations, which will in the longer term increase our sustainability and secure job opportunities for more staff in our native Aberdeenshire and beyond.”

Its Aberdeen ice cream parlour, Mackie’s 19.2, also saw sales increase by 136 per cent.

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Overall costs increased by 17 per cent on the previous year, in keeping with the growth in outputs, and the business boosted its headcount by ­seven to 83.

The firm has previously announced that it is driving profits back into the business, with a key focus for the current year being the creation of a £4.5 million environmentally-friendly refrigeration system that will reduce both energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent.

Mackie’s currently produces more than 70 per cent of the energy required for its operations and renewable energy generation on its Aberdeenshire farm contributed almost £1m to turnover in 2018/19.

Mackie added: “Through our huge investment in our state-of-the-art freezer system, we’re bidding to become 100 per cent self-sufficient in renewable energy by 2020 alongside our aim to have the most efficient factory in the UK for the production of quality dairy ice cream.

Sustainability and long-term business efficiency improvements are our big focus for the year ahead.”

The company’s fourth-generation family farm, ­Westertown, situated close to Inverurie, started producing ice cream in 1986 and continues to produce all flavours on the farm site, using milk and cream from its own herd.