Mackie’s of Scotland has announced a 37% increase in export sales for its luxury ice creams.
The Aberdeenshire firm has seen record international sales in the last financial year.
Sales have increased for the Rothienorman-based company to £2.8 million after hitting £2.05m in 2021/22.
The family-run business currently exports to 13 countries including the USA, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.
World Cup impact on Mackie’s of Scotland export sales
Mackie’s has seen a majority of its total export sales come from east Asia.
Managing director Stuart Common believes the 2002 football World Cup – held in Japan and South Korea – played a part.
The brand currently exports to Taiwan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, which make up 95% of its export sales.
Mr Common said: “We first started exporting to a handful of family-run ice cream parlours in Seoul in 2002 for the FIFA World Cup hosted in South Korea.
“We have seen steady growth in overseas demand for our products.
“This most recent burst in export sales comes as countries and international supply chains begin to recover from the pandemic.
“Consumers are eager to taste and try foods they have not necessarily had access to for some time.”
Mr Common believes the addition of certain ice cream flavours has helped the brand to grow its export sales.
The brand’s biggest seller abroad is its traditional ice cream tub followed by honeycomb.
He added: “Mackie’s have widened the scope of products which we offer to our overseas customers – providing them with new flavours like our honeycomb.
“This has resulted in a terrific uplift in sales worldwide and our partnerships with our international distributors has never been stronger.”
Taiwan is the company’s biggest overseas customer. Last year it purchased more than one million of Mackie’s traditional tubs.
Exports ambitions
Mr Common admitted the company has set itself “challenging targets” for the upcoming year.
He added: “Our ambition is always to grow, while still delivering quality to our consumers.
“We are working on creating new relationships with distributors to reach more customers around the world.
“We have set ourselves challenging targets for the upcoming year to maintain this upward trajectory.”
The export success follows the news Mackie’s hit £20m in ice cream sales for the first time.
The Aberdeenshire-based firm sold more than 13.3 million litres of ice cream, enough to fill five Olympic size swimming pools.
Mackie’s has been named winner of the sustainability award at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards.
Conversation