Waitrose marks 10 years of trading in Scotland

Upmarket grocer Waitrose said it has doubled the number of Scottish lines it stocks since its first stores launched north of the Border a decade ago.

Waitrose staff mark the grocer's tenth anniversary in Scotland. Picture: Neil Hanna

The employee-owned retailer, part of the John Lewis Partnership, made its first foray into Scotland with the opening of two Edinburgh branches at Comely Bank and Morningside in June 2006. It has since opened five more stores – at Byres Road in Glasgow, Helensburgh, Milngavie, Newton Mearns and Stirling – and now employs 1,200 people across the country.

Waitrose said it stocks more than 800 lines from 100 Scottish suppliers, including Findlater’s Fine Foods, Graham’s The Family Dairy, Mo’s Cookie Dough and Stoats.

Tony Stone, chief executive at Edinburgh-based porridge maker Stoats, said: “Waitrose was the first major retailer to stock our products and their backing in our early days gave us the experience and confidence to expand our business throughout the UK.”

Waitrose managing director Rob Collins added: “The wealth and quality of Scottish food and drink is a real source of national pride and we are equally as proud to have played a part in helping showcase its finest producers.

“We have established long-term relationships from the outset, built on a shared passion for uncompromisingly good food, putting in place the foundations for us to continue to grow our Scottish supplier base.”