The Princess Royal visits Browns Food Group

Browns Food Group has welcomed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to commemorate the official opening of the company's upgraded and extended facilities with an ambitious vision to achieve £100 million of retail sales of Specially Selected Pork by 2030.

HRH The Princess Royal is Patron of the Scotch Chef’s Club and visited the facility on 25^th March, recognising Browns Food Group's significant investment over the last three years in support of the Scottish pig sector.

At the event, the family-owned Browns Food Group revealed their vision, which alongside achieving £100 million in retail sales of Specially Selected Pork, also aims to grow jobs with an additional 135 roles being created over the same time period across the business. The investment including a new 50,000 square foot extension unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal, is described by QMS as a critical step in developing the infrastructure necessary for value-added manufacturing capacity. It has the potential to unlock a sustainable demand profile at farm level that will benefit the wider supply chain in the longer term.

Wayne Godfrey, Chief Executive of the Browns Food Group, said: "We are honoured to have The Princess Royal visit our facility. The new extension will enable us to expand our product range under the Kilted Pork Company banner, further enhancing our offering of added value cooked meats, sausages, and fresh pork.

“As well as creating new jobs, our plans will provide a much shorter, greener supply chain. It is predicted to reduce our transport emissions by 70%, or half a million miles a year, and focuses economic activity here, in Scotland.”

Kate Rowell, Chair of QMS, echoed Wayne's sentiments, emphasising the importance of collaboration driving innovation and promoting Scottish pork brands.

"The Scottish pig sector is an integral element of the Scottish mixed farming system. Protein production that produces organic sources of fertiliser is an important piece of our sustainability jigsaw. It’s fantastic to see Browns Food Group acknowledging the opportunities inherent within this sector and investing in its long-term future.”

During the visit, HRH heard about Browns Food Group's production of top-quality Specially Selected Pork and added value products at their Kelloholm production facility. With Browns Food Group now owning the only major pig processing site in Scotland, the majority of independent pig farmers in Scotland supply directly to the company.

“Browns Food Group ambition and investment is a great example of driving business centred innovation, supply chain support and effective marketing of the Scotch and Specially Selected pork brands, and demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration with industry strategies like “Provenance and Profit” that was launched for Scotland’s pig sector in 2018," reflected Kate.

The visit, attended by representatives from businesses across the supply chain and key members of the Browns Food Group team, underscored the collective commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability of pig production in Scotland.