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.”