Scots seaweed start-up thinking big with 'state-of-the-art' processing plant

A Scottish seaweed start-up has outlined bold plans to develop a “state-of-the-art” processing facility to tap into a multi-billion-pound global market.

Seaweed Enterprises CEO Pete Higgins attending his first harvest on the coast of Fife. Picture: Mike Wilkinson

Fife-headquartered Seaweed Enterprises, having retained seven jobs in the local area following the purchase of assets from Mara Seaweed (in Administration), has set its sights on scaling up its factory and operations as it looks to become the UK’s top harvesting and processing hub for seaweed. It sees the Scottish seaweed industry as being “under-invested, untapped and highly fragmented” for a product that is “packed full of nutritional, cosmetic and pharmaceutical benefits”.

Seaweed Enterprises has been established by its chief executive Pete Higgins who is said to be experienced in getting businesses investor ready and scaling for growth, along with the senior team from Mara Seaweed – Arnie Sathiy and Clare Dean – who have several years’ practical and commercial experience in the industry. Significant capital expenditure at the firm’s Glenrothes site is seen as key to its investment strategy, allowing the production and sale of a range of species in demand from an array of offtake channels. The firm’s goal is to broaden its revenue base across a range of commercial opportunities, from the food industry to skincare and agri-business.

Higgins said: “Seaweed is an extraordinarily beneficial natural resource whose potential is not yet fully realised, so this is a tremendously exciting time for Seaweed Enterprises and the sustainable seaweed sector as a whole. Our state-of-the-art facility will offer not only volume much needed by many customers, but importantly the versatility and refinement for higher value items.”

Callum Carmichael, partner at FRP Advisory, said: “The sale is a great result for everyone involved with Mara Seaweed in particular the staff, suppliers and extensive customer base. It is particularly rewarding that seven jobs have been saved and the future of an innovative food processing business has been secured.”

In May, it emerged that a Scottish business producing supplements derived from sustainably harvested seaweed was setting its sights on global expansion after attracting interest from major retailers in Europe and North America. The Doctor Seaweed brand has recently expanded into Italy and is in talks to establish a presence in Germany, Scandinavia and the US.

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