Provenance aids performance, says Mackie’s, as the Scottish producer sets out ‘back-to-basics’ stall
THE trend for all things fresh and local isn’t limited to lumpy vegetables at the farmers market. It can also apply to desserts, and Aberdeenshire-based ice-cream producer Mackie’s of Scotland has set out its stall in favour of sweet treats enjoyed in moderation.
Mackie’s says that despite increasing public and government concern over sugar content, the firm’s sales remain high – a fact that could be down to the brand’s offer of a sweet treat without an accompanying phonebook of ingredients.
Kirstin Mackie, development director at Mackie’s, said: “If ice cream is made the way it should be, using little more than the key natural ingredients – cream, milk and sugar – then it should naturally be gluten free, appealing to both vegetarians and those on gluten-free diets.
“However, there’s not much we can do about the fact that our ice cream contains dairy. Traditional ice cream, with a creamy smooth taste, is the one you remember from your childhood, and that’s something that just can’t be replaced.”
According to Mackie, the real food trend at the moment is not necessarily ‘free from’ but ‘back-to-basics’ which should play well for Scottish brands anywhere in store, including the freezer.
“People want to know that their food contains nothing more than the ingredients they expect,” she said, “and that’s where Mackie’s comes up trumps.”
And, despite definitely having a sugar content worth paying attention to, Mackie’s is still in a good position to serve as an occasional treat even for the health conscious, according to Mackie.
“We’ve been looking at market demands and have found that our ice cream is already naturally lower in sugar than most big brands.”
