A teenage entrepreneur is cooking up expansion plans for his handmade chocolates company ahead of the official opening of its new kitchen.
Chocolates of Glenshiel, founded by 18-year-old Finlay Macdonald, has been tipped for success by Scottish food expert and Press and Journal columnist Lady Claire Macdonald.
Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Mr Macdonald is holding a relaunch event for the business, based in the north-west Highlands, this weekend.
As part of its plans the company has invested in new packaging, branding, chocolate ranges and free online delivery. It has also launched an online subscription service called The Highland Chocolate Club and a discount scheme for people aged 11-26.
Mr Macdonald, who traces his passion for food back to Sundays spent helping his grandmother bake scones from the age of 18 months, launched his first enterprise aged 12, with a bread subscription service in his school. Two years later, during work experience in a pastry kitchen, he learned to make chocolates – an experience he loved.
With money saved from his earlier bread selling venture, Mr Macdonald bought the basic equipment he needed to make his own chocolates.
He said: “In 2016 I realised I didn’t want to make generic chocolates. I saw all the wonderful small Highland enterprises that surrounded the area and felt compelled to showcase the fantastic produce they had to offer in my chocolates.
Mr Macdonald added: “The crowdfunding means we have been able to invest in our production, so we can produce over 2,400 boxes of chocolates per month. We now provide work for three young
people from the Highland region.
“We have a passion to support local business in the ingredients we use such as Isle of Skye Sea Salt and Misty Isle Gin, to help promote growth in the Highland economy.”
Lady Macdonald, who with her husband Godfrey launched the Michelin-starred Kinloch Lodge on Skye, will officially open the new kitchen on Saturday.
She said: “Chocolates of Glenshiel is a gem of a small company. The secret to its sure success and inevitable expanding future is the top quality of its product.”