Spotlight on the top Scottish food and drink brands of 2023 (excluding alcohol) from 41-50
41. Lee’s of Scotland
CONSUMERS are definitely pleased with Coatbridge-founded confectioner Lee’s of Scotland.
Initially starting out with macaroon and snowball products, the Lee’s range has been growing since the factory’s doors first opened in 1931 to include a range of confectionery bars, traditional Jam Teacakes, Mint and Jaffa Teacakes and a range of Meringue options.
A spokesperson for Lee’s of Scotland said: “The brand has been a family favourite for years. The quality and delicious taste of our snowballs, teacakes and meringues appeal to customers everywhere.
“Through our Scottish provenance, we have created a strong connection with Scottish consumers and we’re always looking at ways we can build on this.”
Lee’s biggest move in 2023 saw it join the massive bakery manufacturing firm Finsbury Food Group, adding its repertoire of cakes to the business, which owns other bakery firms such as the Welsh brand Memory Lane Cakes that includes licensing brands for Disney, Thorntons, Universal and Mary Berry.
A spokesperson for Lee’s said: “We’re focused and committed to future-proofing this legacy brand and we’re excited to announce that, next year, we’ll be relaunching our brand with a few updates to existing products and featuring a new look.”
42. Stoats
RETAINING its spot at 42, Stoats has come a long way since its beginnings as a porridge food truck business.
Now operating out of a bakery in Edinburgh, the brand is perhaps best known now for its wholegrain Scottish oats bars.
Offering both a range catering to adults as well as kids with its Stoaters selection, the bars consist of a variety of fruit flavours including the likes of Raspberry & Honey, Blueberry & Honey, Orange & Dark Chocolate and Apple & Cinnamon.
The brand still holds true to its roots, though, with its porridge range, complete with instant porridge options to provide greater convenience. Available in pouch and pot formats, flavours include Traditional Scottish Porridge, Raspberry & Honey and Golden Syrup.
43. Dean’s
BAKERY firm Dean’s regards itself as a leading premium manufacturer of shortbread, biscuits and other hand-baked products.
And the business says the secret ingredient to its success are the staff, which the brand see as part of the family. Dean’s has certainly come a long way since being founded in a kitchen in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, back in 1975.
It offers a wide range of shortbread in a variety of flavours and formats, including many suitable for gifting – such as its hampers that are available from its website.
There is also a share bag celebrating the North Coast 500 tourist route, as well as gluten-free and plant-based products. Dean’s has also diversified with the rollout of its cheese bites range, available in four flavours.
44. Taylors
THE brand may be new to this Kantar table but its products are familiar to – and popular with – many Scottish consumers.
Taylors Snacks rolled out the Taylors brand on its crisps and popcorn ranges this summer – replacing the Mackie’s of Scotland labelled bags.
But the firm stresses that the award-winning products, made near the Taylors’ Perthshire farm, are still the same.
The move follows last year’s buyout by the Taylor family of the joint venture established between the two businesses in 2009.
The colourful, modern branding features a distinctively Scottish thistle and Taylors Snacks showcased the products with a £400,000 TV, radio and digital OOH marketing campaign.
45. Calder Millerfield
AS one of Scotland’s leading meat product manufacturers, Calder Millerfield supplies both the retail and fast-food trade. The brand’s premium range includes sausages, burgers, haggis, black pudding, scotch pies and more.
High-quality ingredients, strict quality assurance procedures and a skilled staff combine to ensure the Glasgow firm has an ‘A’-standard BRC accreditation.
The company partly attributes its success to being a family business that has strong traditional values. Today, the brand covers the majority of Scotland and the north of England, with branded and own-label goods stocked in Co-op and Scotmid stores.
46. Punjab Pakora
LAUNCHING from a small fish and chip shop in Ayr back in 2012, Punjab Pakora has become a familiar name to many Indian food fans in Scotland.
Striking deals with Asda, Aldi and Iceland in the first few years, the firm opened its 7,000 square foot factory in 2017, before securing further placements with the Co-op and Sainsbury’s.
Its range covers a selection of pakoras, including Red Chicken, Traditional Chicken, Vegetable, Onion and, of course, Haggis. In addition, Punjab Pakora also make Chicken Spring Rolls and Lamb Samosas. A trio of curries consist of Chicken Jalfrezi, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Tikka Korma.
Such is the demand for its products, the firm is looking to expand again next year and double its workforce, which currently stands at more than 40 staff.
47. Hamlyns of Scotland
HAMLYNS of Scotland is gearing up for the relaunch of their core range of premium Scottish Porridge Oats and Oatmeals in eco-friendly and recyclable paper bags.
This transition marks the next milestone in Hamlyns’ commitment to sustainability, as it prepares to start packing in the new bags from early this month.
Managing director Alan Meikle said: “We already produce our own electricity from our on-site wind turbine at our mill in Banffshire and this is the next exciting stage in our sustainability journey.”
Hamlyns will launch advertising campaigns in both trade and consumer press throughout the winter and next spring, making it easy for customers to find their favourite Hamlyns products in the new packaging.
In addition to their premium porridge oats, Hamlyns’ popular pinhead oatmeal tin will also undergo a relaunch in the spring, complete with a fresh new design.
48. Kitty Campbell’s
A NEW entry for 2023 is Kitty Campbell’s Free Range Eggs, which is based on a family farm in Manor Valley in the Borders.
Kitty’s grandmother, Kathy Campbell, started the poultry farming side of the business back in 1957. Following in her gran’s footsteps, Campbell rears the hens from a day old to ensure they are fit, healthy and of the best possible quality.
Further reassurance comes from the fact that the farm is monitored by the RSPCA, with audits carried out annually. Campbell collects eggs twice daily, with her hens housed overnight and roaming free during the day.
She says the aim of her brand is to provide customers with the most healthy, wonderful and delicious eggs that she can.
49. Stockan’s
WHOLEGRAIN oats, Orkney island water and traditional baking skills are what makes its Scottish savoury biscuits special, according to Stockan’s.
And the judges of the Great Taste Awards, run by the Guild of Fine Food, obviously agree. That’s because, back in the summer, the bakery received its sixth gong from the prestigious honours in four years – a 1-star award for its best-selling Orkney Thick Oatcakes.
Stockan’s have been baking the well-known and loved traditional triangle-shaped oatcakes for decades and the judges described them as “a very good example of an oatcake”. Stockan’s products are widely available in stores across Scotland.
50. Scottish Favourites
FINALLY, rounding off the list for this year, is Strathmore Foods’ Scottish Favourites brand of ready meals. It offers an affordable range of traditional Scottish meals in minutes, with variants including Stovies and Haggis, Neeps & Tatties.
Most notable about the brand for this year is the closure of its bakery section, reducing its line of products that included Scotch Pies and Macaroni Pies.
While the decision to cut back has had its impact on the brand, it clearly hasn’t been too damaging as it has retained a spot in this list for 2023 and shows some savvy decision-making from the Strathmore Foods team.
Neil Macrae, sales director at Strathmore Foods, said: “It was a business decision to close the bakery as it let us focus on the other aspects of the brand, such as its ready meals, as well as on our staff.
“It has been some time since we last launched a new line in the brand but we are looking to bring two new options to our frozen ready meal range, helping to keep the brand fresh as we head into 2024.”
