Bidfood Scotland is launching a full range of Scottish dairy products and free-range eggs into the foodservice sector from this month. Ten local suppliers including a farmer-run dairy and family farm, will supply products across 35 lines.
The range has taken Bidfood Scotland six months to put together for its 5,000 customers, across hotels, restaurants, cafes, care homes, healthcare and education in Scotland.
It will mean customers can source more of their everyday products from local suppliers. Four of the most recent additions to the range, First Milk, Inverloch Cheese Company, Yester Farm Dairies and Scotlay Eggs, all expect growth opportunities as part of the new deal. The range also complements their existing supply, such as the Arran truckles and cheddars from Orkney.
For example, Scotlay Eggs have already seen a 900% increase in volume in just six months thanks to Bidfood’s orders; they are now investing in more birds and building a new poultry shed to accommodate the growth.
Bidfood Scotland’s Business Development Manager, Katie Sillars, pictured centre with James and Linda Mclean, milk producers for First Milk Mull of Kintyre and Campbeltown cheddars, said the business is proud to partner with local suppliers, offering opportunities to grow into what is often a new part of the hospitality sector.
Sillars continued, “Our strategy is about finding the right balance between quality and value for money. Our aim is to work in partnership with our suppliers and help them to drive growth of the dairy and egg categories regionally in Scotland, as well as across the whole of our UK business.'
Already two suppliers have moved from a regional to a national, UK-wide listing – Campbeltown mature colour grated cheddar and Yester Farm’s mozzarella; both of which are now being supplied into a large UK customer.
Supplier overview
First Milk, the only Scottish dairy producer to be 100% owned by farmers, have added their Campbeltown mature coloured cheddar, Isle of Arran extra mature cheddar and Mull of Kintyre mature white cheddar to Bidfood Scotland’s range.
Paul Stewart, Marketing Manager, said, “We’re pleased to grow our business further by working with Bidfood. Every increase we have in volume helps to improve the price per litre for our farmers, and this then creates a more sustainable milk price.'
Inverloch Cheese Company is ranging its Isle of Kintyre branded Brie, Blue and Apple Smoke cheeses as part of Bidfood Scotland’s Scottish Cheeseboard range. Owner David Eaton said, “Not all operators can work with smaller niche suppliers like us, and by being listed with Bidfood, it gives us access to the sector which we have previously been unable to reach.'
Yester Farm Dairies, a family run, artisan dairy company in East Lothian, is selling its mozzarella, cottage cheese and luxury soft cream cheese.“As a large multi-national business, Bidfood can open up new markets to us and help us reach new customers in all parts of Scotland that we’re not able to service directly from our farm,” says owner Jackie McCreery.
The owner of Scotlay Eggs, an award-winning free range egg farm in in Ayrshire, Elaine Dalrymple said, “Since March this year we’ve seen our volumes grow with Bidfood from 12 cases each week up to an average of 120, and this continues to grow. The security of this new business has encouraged us to invest in more birds and we’re in the process of building a new poultry shed to accommodate this growth. This will in turn secure our existing staff of 6 and allow for further employment opportunities going forward.'
The development of Bidfood’s new dairy and eggs range is part of the company’s support of Scotland Food and Drinks’ new Ambition 2030, which works in partnership with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Dairy Hub to double turnover in the Scotland food and drink sector to reach £30 billion by 2030.
