Browns Food Group saw Her Royal Highness (HRH) The Princess Royal attend the opening celebration of its new facilities.
HRH The Princess Royal, who visited on Tuesday, is patron of the Scotch Chef’s, and recognised Browns Food Group’s investments over the past three years to support the Scottish pig sector.
At the event, Brown’s Food Group revealed their aims to achieve £100 million in retail sales of Specially Selected Pork and to offer 135 new jobs across business.
A 50,000 square foot extension was also unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal, described by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) as a “critical step” in developing the infrastructure for value-added manufacturing capacity.
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Wayne Godfrey, chief executive of the Browns food group, said: “We are honoured to have The Princess Royal visit our facility. The new extension will enable us to expand our product range under the Kilted Pork Company banner, further enhancing our offering of added value cooked meats, sausages, and fresh pork.
“As well as creating new jobs, our plans will provide a much shorter, greener supply chain. It is predicted to reduce our transport emissions by 70%, or half a million miles a year, and focuses economic activity here, in Scotland.”
Kate Rowell, chair of QMS also emphasised how collaboration has been driving innovation and promoting Scottish pork brands.
“The Scottish pig sector is an integral element of the Scottish mixed farming system. Protein production that produces organic sources of fertiliser is an important piece of our sustainability jigsaw.
“It’s fantastic to see Browns Food Group acknowledging the opportunities inherent within this sector and investing in its long-term future.”
During the visit, HRH heard about Browns Food Group’s produces their Specially Selected Pork at their Kelloholm production facility.
With Browns Food Group now owning the only major pig processing site in Scotland, the majority of independent Scottish pig farmers supply direct to the company.
Kate continued: “Browns Food Group ambition and investment is a great example of driving business centred innovation, supply chain support and effective marketing of the Scotch and Specially Selected pork brands.”
