Mackie’s scoops record sales as Asian ice cream exports rise

The Mackie family: Kirstin McNutt, Mac Mackie and Karin Hayhow. Picture: Tricia Malley/Ross Gillespie

Annual revenues at the Aberdeenshire firm passed the £15 million mark for the first time, thanks in large part to sales more than doubling in the Asian market as its ice cream becomes a frequent substitute for milk in popular drinks.

Mackie’s vanilla-free “Traditional” flavour is now used in hot drinks and bubble tea – a fashionable sweet drink mixed with small starch or fruit balls – in addition to being served on its own as a dessert.

Revenues climbed to £15.4m in 2018-19, up from £12.7m in the previous year.

Ivan Jefford, head of export sales at Mackie’s, said: “Ice cream is being used as a substitute for the milk or cream we’d add here in the UK.

“Our ‘Traditional’ ice cream, which has no vanilla, has the right fresh milky, creamy notes to suit this new market demand and can then be mixed with various other flavours. It’s a bit like an ice cream milkshake.”

Mackie’s also pointed to favourable conditions closer to home, with the UK’s summer heatwave driving up demand in the domestic market.

Its one litre “Traditional” tubs have risen to claim the position of fourth bestselling premium ice cream product in the UK, with volume of sales increasing by 24 per cent.

The family business said it is now focusing on putting its profits back into the growth of the company, having invested in a rotary filler that will help keep up with demand for its range of mini tubs.

It has also hired 19 new members of staff, taking its total headcount to 89.

In a £4m project, the company has pledged to replace all of its existing freezing equipment with low carbon, power efficient units run on ammonia – a natural refrigerant gas – as part of its overarching goal to become “the greenest company in Britain”.

The firm currently uses more than 70 per cent renewable energy thanks to its farm’s wind turbines and solar panels.

Sales director Stuart Common said: “We’re certainly not one of the giant ice cream producers, so competition can be tough.

“But thanks to continued support for our traditional recipe that we make on the family farm here in Scotland, and the relationships we’re building in East Asia as they get a taste for our product, we’ve had some great successes.

“It’s fantastic to see the team grow with the business, too, as we take on staff at every level of the business to help us meet our aims.

“Last year was a big year for us and we’re chuffed to see all our hard work pay off.”

Mackie’s said that its recent diversification into chocolate, which is also produced at a factory on the family’s farming estate, has played a helping hand in boosting profits as it secures key supermarket listings.

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.

It launched its first retail venture, Aberdeen ice cream parlour Mackie’s 19.2, in December 2017.