An Orkney-based speciality cheese producer is moving into the export business with a major order for the United States.
The Island Smokery, of Stromness, is supplying more than 1,300 lb of Orkney Smoked Red Cheddar to key US importer and distributor Atalanta.
It is the first serious move into overseas sales for the firm, which is due to open a new, larger production unit in December.
And Callum MacInnes, who established the business in 2005, hopes there will be more to follow, with a number of other US distributors expressing interest in his products.
The initial order follows a Scottish Development International (SDI) trade mission to the US earlier this year to launch the new Scottish Dairy brand.
Mr MacInnes said: “The SDI trade mission was very successful in exposing the US market to everything that’s great about the Scottish dairy sector and we’re now reaping the benefits of those efforts.
“This Atalanta order is tremendous news for us and we’re really excited about seeing our Smoked Red Cheddar distributed throughout the US.
“As a product, it has very strong Orkney provenance, so this order is also going to be good for raising the profile of the islands and helping spread the word about the quality of all our produce.”
Mr MacInnes was due to meet another group of American buyers in Edinburgh today, before traveling to Ireland to follow up on trade connections made at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
Until now the smokery’s main market has been Soctland, with Tesco’s among the retailers it supplies.
“Scotland is a surprisingly big place and has a lot of cheese-lovers,” Mr MacInnes added.
“The special Christmas Spice cheese we do every year moved 2,000 units alone last December.”
The smokery currently employs five full-time and two part-time staff and last year produced 40 tonnes of smoked cheese. The move from its current Blustery Braes base to another unit in Stromness will treble its size and create more part-time posts to ensure it can meet what Mr MacInnes described as “this most welcome demand.”
The company, which uses only Orkney Island cheddar – an EU Protected Food Name – produces nine flavoured and three smoked varieties of cheese, in addition to a range of smoked garlic products.
Edgar Balfour, development manager for promotional body Orkney food, drink and crafts, said securing the US order was a “massive achievement” for the company and the team behind the Scottish Dairy initiative.
He added: “Orkney products are able to hold their own in the competitive international marketplace because of their consistently high quality and the willingness of our producers to think big and meet this kind of demand.”
SDI launched the Scottish Dairy brand and a drive to sell products to the US at the Summer Fancy Foods Show in New York in June.
The brand includes an exclusive logo added to premium Scottish dairy products in the US. Products using the logo are selected according to strict criteria and made with 100% Scottish milk.
The industry-led initiative stemmed from a review carried out by Scotland Food and Drink in 2014.
