BUSY START FOR NEW BOSS: EXPANSION FOR BROCH FIRM: TASTE OF THE ORIENT FROM ABERDEEN

ROY CUNNINGHAM has had a jet-set introduction to his new job as managing director of a leading North-East company. The Edinburgh-based boss put his feet under the table at Macduff Shellfish near Peterhead on Monday for the first time. And hours later he flew out with his team to Europe’s biggest seafish exhibition in Brussels. He joined the ambitious company – which had a reported £38m turn over last year - following 25 years in the fishing industry. Owned by the Beaton family and run by three brothers – Euan, Paul and Fergus – Macduff Shellfish exports to Europe and the Far East and supplies the UK market. Brora-born Mr Cunningham, aged 45, joined the firm after ten years with Edinburgh company Macrae (cor). And the resident of the leafy Edinburgh suburb of Balerno said: “Joining Madcuff was too good an opportunity for me to pass up. “It is a solid business with a great deal of future potential.” He revealed: “I joined the company on Monday and we flew out to Brussels. The firm have to be at the exhibition and this is part of my learning process. “I’ll be meeting a lot of our customers and this is one of the big points in our year as we are in an international business.” Macduff’s markets are in Western Europe and further afield including Brazil, India, China and Russia and they are looking to develop their customer base. And they have just launched a new product range of frozen langoustines, crab class, king scallops and peeled langoustine tails caught in UK water into the French retail market. They employ up to 250 at the seasonal peak at their Mintlaw base and are keen to protect their supply chain. So keen, in fact, that they are offering companies possible financial support. Over the last 12 months the company have part funded the purchase of five vessels in a pilot scheme. They are now keen to extend the support to other shellfish vessels and equipment. Euan Beaton, Macduff’s chairman, said: “Fishermen are our livelihood and it is important that as we look to build our business our supply chain is healthy and supported. “We are providing fishermen with an access to finance as well as a route to market. We’d not limit ourselves to part-funding vessels. “We’d be happy to look at vessel refurbishment, the purchase of gear, another quota or license and would encourage fishermen to come and have a word with us no matter the size or scale of what they’re considering.” A NORTH-EAST fish firm are gambling by expanding during the recession and will look to create 30 more jobs by the end of the summer. Whitelink Seafooods for Fraserburgh are investing over £1m in creating a new freezing area, loading bay and work area. And the 38-year-old family firm are also looking to open new markets at home and abroad. Their investment will also assist Scottish fishermen as Whitelink are looking for new suppliers of shellfish, crabs and prawns. Currently, they buy at markets including Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Scrabster and Kinlochbervie in Sutherland. And sales executive James Sutherland Jun, 34, said: “Investment in a recession could be considered a gamble, but business is a gamble.” They are currently exhibiting in Brussels at Europe’s biggest seafish exhibition. And Mr Sutherland said: “We’re developing as we’re experiencing a demand for prawns, in particular, from counties like France, Italy and Spain.” Whitelink was founded in 1974 by James’ father James and his mother Marie, who are joint managing directors, and his two brothers, Andrew and Graham, plus sister, Valerie Ritchie, all work for the firm. The firm, who supply major supermarkets in Britain and Europe and to leading wholesalers, currently employ 150 in their Fraserburgh plant and this will increase to 180 once the development is complete. DISCERNING seafood addicts will soon have another salmon product to savour with a taste of the Orient. Aberdeen-based John Ross Jun are set to market salmon smoked with Chinese tea. And the family firm, who employ around 70 people in Aberdeen’s Tory area, are confident the tea smoked product will be a winner. They are currently test marketing the fish at Europe’s biggest fish exhibition in Brussels. And sales director Vicky Leigh said: “The response has been tremendously encouraging.” They currently supply fish to The Queen at Balmoral, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Sandringham. And they recently won their British Retail Consortium award. The company, named after John Ross, who created the art of fish smoking for the “finnan haddie”, currently export 65 per cent of their produce to outlets including ones in Dubai, Japan, America, the Carribean and Europe. And they have previously won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Her father Andrew is chairman and brother Chris a director and Vicky said: “The tea smoked product will be available commercially in a few weeks. “And we are looking for orders.”

COOKERY COUPLE ON WORLD STAGE: CALEY HOME IN ON BRITAIN

TOP chef Tony Jackson and his wife Maureen will serve 15,000 portions in three days in Brussels as Scotland sells its fish world-wide. The couple, who have a four-star hotel near Peterhead, situated in a former RAF Officers Mess, are leading a five-strong team at Europe’s largest seafood exhibition in Brussels. The global showcase is just one of a number of high-profile events at which Tony, 59, originally from Durham but now living in Aviemore, and Aberdeenshire-born Maureen, 53, are involved with their event management company. It was formed after they catered for 1,200 people over seven days as the Royal and Ancient celebrated their 250th anniversary. The lead a jet-set lifestyle and have just returned from Singapore where they assisted Scotland’s promotion at Food and Hotel Asia. Organisation is the name of the game for the couple who run the 47-room, Buchan Braes Hotel at Boddam. It also has a 60-cover restaurant and they specialise in Scottish seafood. They prepared as much of the food as possible in Scotland before arriving in Brussels. Their kitchen at the event is around 15-feet square on the Scotland stand at the busy three-day show which closes today (THURS) and is on course to attract 20,000 delegates from around the world. Tony, a former catering director for Macdonald Hotels, who has worked in a number of the world major cities, and who teaches hospitality at Fraserburgh College, and Maureen, who used to teach at Glenrothes College, work up to a 12-hours day at the show. He said: “Delegates come from all over the world to the European Seafood Exposition and it is crucial to serve them something they remember. “We’ve done this before – Maureen seven times and I’ve done it six times - and this year we’ve got the biggest kitchen we’ve ever had. “We’ll serve around 15,000 people over the three days and that includes delegate tasting, lunches for invited guests and receptions.” Tony, who will judge at the Olympic Culinary event in Germany later this year, was manager of the Scottish Culinary team for 12 years. During that time the senior team was third and the junior team first in the world. He said: “We used the best of Scottish produce here (in Brussels) and in our hotel. Quality is so important and we’re spoiled in Scotland as we have such a fantastic supply of produce. “We’ve got lots of seafood, beef and venison and every chef in the world envies what we have in our natural larder.” CALEY Fisheries from Peterhead currently the majority of their business abroad – but that is about to change. Boss Stephen Jon Buchan revealed that the 78-year-old company is set to launch a business drive at home. The news came as the Aberdeenshire-based firm woo potential clients at Europe’s biggest seafood exhibition in Brussels. Currently, London’s famous Billingsgate Fish Market and the busy Birmingham Fish Market are customers. And the Castle Street firm are keen to open new domestic doors. Company services include fishing vessel management and supply, fish landing and auctioneering, procurement of all species of fish including whitefish, Palagic fish, shellfish and fish from deeper waters. They also process fresh catches and do freezing and cold storage as well as marketing and global distribution. Mr Buchan said: “We’re bucking trends in the recession and we’re looking forward to next year. “We are confident we are going in the right direction and we aim to develop our sales in the UK. “Currently, 95 per cent of our product is exported. The five per cent British sales have been business we’ve had for the last 15 years but we are determined to increase that.”

SHETLAND FIRM FORECAST GROWTH

A SHETLAND-BASED salmon company are forecasting growth in the next year despite the recession. Framgord from Lerwick are continuing to develop markets in Europe and Asia. The 26-year-old company have ten staff and supply chilled and frozen salmon worldwide. Their produce range includes whole fish, fillets, portions to customer specification and by-products. And Frank Johnson, the company’s managing director, is leading his team this week at Europe’s biggest seafish exhibition in Brussels. Mr Johnson said: “Our exports in Western Europe, including the UK, are around 30 per cent of our turnover currently. “We export around 70 per cent of our products to Eastern Europe and Asia and we’re developing the business by our strong customer service. “We’ve survived for 26 years and we work very hard at it and we see our turnover increasing by between ten and 15 per cent in the next year.”

MORE SCAMPI FOR YOUR MONEY: NEW PRODUCT FOR NORTH UIST COMPANY

A Scots-based company are soon to launch a new product to give domestic consumers more buck for their scampi. Sco-Fro based in Glasgow, Newton Stewart and Fort William are privately owned. And their new product can be oven baked in 15 minutes from frozen. Scot-Fro are exhibiting at Europe’s largest seafood exhibition in Brussels this week. Michael Mitchell, their commercial director, said: “Customers can sometimes be buying products which contain 40 per cent scampi, 50 per cent breadcrumbs and batter and ten per cent water. “Our product will contain 60 per cent fish and 40 per cent breadcrumbs. “We believe this will be the highest fish content (in a scampi product) on the marketplace.” The firm were founded in 1975 and their new packaging proclaims: “More scampi, less crumb.” AN innovative North Uist smoked salmon company, who supply to top London stores, are putting great faith in their new product set to be launched this month. Bradan is Gruth (Gaelic) is made using fresh Highland cheese handmade by the Clark family on their organic farm on the shores of the Moray Firth with peat smoked salmon and black pepper. It is expected to be on the shelves of London stores including Fortnum and Mason and Selfridges this moneh. And famous Edinburgh delicatessen Valvona and Crolla (cor) could also be a recipient of the product. The North Atlantic-based smokehouse benefits from a clean, pollution-free environment. Christopher West, general manager of Hebridean Smokehouse Ltd, said that conditions were perfect for rearing fish and harvesting shellfish. He added: “We’ve been smoking salmon in North Uist for over 25 years and we are a small, family-owned and run business. “Great care is taken at all stages of production and the brand is found in some of the best and most respected luxury food stores in the UK. “We also supply to Waitrose and John Lewis and we are 100 per cent Scottish.” They also promote sea trout products. Hebridean started in 2000 with a turnover of £130K and last year reported a turnover of £1m. They have a staff of 12 and the ambitious company are showcasing their new branding at Europe’s largest seafood exhibition in Brussels this week. It is their second year at the exhibition and attending is a major investment for the company. Mr West said: “Directly from attending last year our sales went up ten percent and that is significant for a company like ours. “We came here this year to cement relationships and also to develop new markets.” A recent product drive into Switzerland has netted a 20 per cent sales boost for the award-winning company who smoke with beech wood from estates in Argyll.

CHRIS PROVES HEADMASTER WRONG

CHRIS ANDERSON was told by his school headmaster that he was a waster and would make nothing out of his life. Four decades on the trail-blazing Scot is president of an Aberdeenshire-based seafood firm projecting a turnover of around £42m. And the former trawlerman is one of a growing band of tartan exporters making the most of Eastern promise. Recently, in Brussels, the Scottish Government confirmed a £240,000 grant to support Scots firms market in the Far East. Mr Anderson, a former pupil at Peterhead Academy, is collaborating with Seafood Scotland as the organisation aims to open doors in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea. It is perceived as a massive market by Scottish fish bosses who plan a number of initiatives to drive the initiative forward in the next 12 months. Mr Anderson can help open doors as he has been trading in Japan since 1984 and currently has an office with two staff in Qingdao in central China. His current company, Peterhead-based Fresh Catch, exports up to 97 per cent of turnover and has 120 full-time staff and over 200 in high season (June to February). And he buys mackerel, herring, white fish, capelin, blue whiting and a new product, brown crab, at markets at home and in Norway. The canny Scot admitted: “It’s been a lot of hard work cracking the markets in the Far East. “I first started exporting there in 1984, and we’ve worked hard at it. It’s the same as in Britain, you have to network and speak to people. Word-of-mouth is important.” It helps if you speak the language. Mr Anderson doesn’t but his son Colin, the company’s IT consultant, does. Colin is also married to a Chinese lady and his marketing development manager, Lisa Gao, in Qingado is Chinese. He added: “Our turnover last year was around £50m but we project it to be between £40m and £42m this year. “We always looking at new products and we started marketing brown crab last year and we did 200 tons in the first month. It is growing all the time. “That’s good news for the shellfish guys and we hope to develop that product further. “Not bad for a guy who was told by the headmaster at Peterhead Academy that I was a waster and would do nothing with my life.” Ironically, Mr Anderson currently lives in the hamlet of Inverugie near Peterhead, opposite the house in which his old headmaster lived, but that’s another story, far removed from the emerging markets in China. Libby Woodhatch, chief executive for Edinburgh-based Seafood Scotland, believes there is huge untapped potential in the Far East. She is aiming at the high-end of the food service sector, basically the importers in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Honk Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. And she admitted that key people in the Far East may know about whisky and salmon – and possibly golf - but don’t know where Scotland is. They also don’t realise the variety of product that Scotland can provide. And Scots producers are batting against the huge promotional budgets of countries like Norway. She said: “Norway are well organised. Their budgets are in telephone numbers. “However, we see a huge untapped market potential in the Far East region. Many buyers are, however, unaware of what or where Scotland is, let alone what it has to offer in terms of seafood. “The money we’re receiving is a drop in the ocean but it will help raise awareness of both Scotland and our top quality fish and shellfish. “We are aiming specifically at the high end food service sector where our products are more likely to be valued. “We’ve done our homework and we’ll be piggy-backing on major events like the Chinese Seafood Show in November. Everybody who is anybody is there. “We’ll also be looking at doing sampling and tasting in the countries. We have to manage resources well. We also have to be clever, well-targeted and flexible.”