Castle MacLellan in £5m factory expansion

A MAKER of luxury pate has almost doubled the size of its factory in Dumfries and Galloway following a £5 million cash investment.

Castle MacLellan’s enlarged plant in Kirkcudbright will be able to cope with a 50 per cent increase in production capacity, which could result in more than 1,000 tonnes of pate produced there each year.

In addition, the firm has made major investments into new technology and “class-leading” equipment, including steam cookers, vacuum packers and conveyer systems that will improve the efficiency of the production process.

Elaine McConnell, general manager at Castle MacLellan Food, said: “It’s a really exciting time for the team in Kirkcudbright. Castle MacLellan began here so it’s great that the factory has remained in Dumfries, providing the area with employment opportunities and stability for the local economy.

“The new state of the art facility will help us to deliver on our continued vision of producing the highest quality artisan products using the finest Scottish ingredients using the latest in food manufacturing technology – improving efficiency, output and reducing our environmental impact.”

The factory employs 80 full-time staff and a similar number of additional workers during the peak Christmas period. Its product line-up includes chicken liver pate with Scottish heather honey and Rannoch smoked duck pate with Bramley apple jelly.

The expanded premises were officially opened yesterday by Erik Volden, chief executive of parent group Kavli, and holding company chairman Finn Jebsen. Volden said: “This expansion… will ensure that we have the capacity to meet ever-increasing demand for our products.”

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