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Staying put in Scotland
When a controversial newspaper article claimed that Braehead Foods, a leading purveyor of game to the catering industry, was planning to move its Kilmarnock-based operation to England because of the local council's reluctance to help with expansion plans, Jo Skailes paid him a visit to find out story behind the rumours…
Despite the recent press coverage to the contrary, Braehead Foods will not be moving south anytime soon. Local authority officials have stepped in to call a halt to the conflicting theories surrounding the company's plans to expand, and have promised to help Managing Director Craig Stevenson find a new site that can cater for his rapidly expanding firm.
The council's overtures are a shot in the arm for the MD, who had felt his plans for development were being obstructed by East Ayrshire Council. And while it is not yet clear what the resolution will be, officials have pledged their support for, and stressed their commitment to, the future of Braehead, which has grown into the UK's largest supplier of game and specialist foods.
Craig had hoped to sell to developers 1.5 acres of land with planning permission for 10 houses, and use the money to finance a new factory in a nearby industrial park. To his dismay and frustration, however, his application for outline planning permission was rejected by the Council's planning committee.
He was allegedly knocked back on the basis that the housing would have been built on greenbelt land and, additionally, could not be justified in terms of economic or social benefit to the community. He felt the Council was unreasonably thwarting his development, and he hit out at the greenbelt description, pointing out it was right next to a busy road and insisting that the money raised would be ploughed straight back into business in the Kilmarnock area.
However, thankfully for Craig, his customers and Kilmarnock Council, all that is history. Now, following a meeting with senior council members, it seems a resolution may be possible.
'We had a very positive meeting with Mr Stevenson, in which the Council's commitment to supporting the retention and continued development of this business within East Ayrshire was re-affirmed,' says Depute Chief Executive, Elizabeth Morton.
'The council recognises Braehead as a growing business, supplying high quality food products into niche markets, not only in Scotland but also in London and abroad. It is a considerable measure of the company's standing in the industry that they are suppliers to some of the most prestigious restaurants and chefs in the world.
'The council have been involved in supporting Braehead Foods for several years and, as a result, we have a clear understanding of how the business has developed and its development potential. Accordingly, we will continue to work very closely with the company in every appropriate way, to ensure that its potential is realised for the benefit of the business, its staff and the local economy.'
Douglas Reid, SNP Councillor for Bonnyton, says he wholeheartedly agrees with Craig's needs to expand: 'His factory is quite unique and the business is great for this area. I have been talking to people to see if there is some way we can proactively help him. We can't afford to lose a business like Braehead.'
Martin Wishart, owner of the eponymous, Michelin-starred Edinburgh restaurant and one of Craig's most prolific clients, believes it is essential that suppliers such as Braehead are kept in Scotland:
'I think Braehead Foods are very important to a lot of a chefs across Scotland, the UK and abroad,' he says. 'Their game preparation and production is done very soundly, with full traceability, and as a company they are vitally important for game and specialist food production. Craig himself does a huge amount to raise the standards, profile and morale of the catering industry. Every effort must be made to keep them in Scotland.'
Meanwhile, Craig is now cautiously optimistic, and believes there could be a very positive outcome from the fracas: 'It certainly seems hopeful after the doom and gloom before.'
He moved Braehead into Bonnyton Industrial Estate about four years ago, when the company had an annual turnover of £2.5million. 'That has now doubled,' he says, 'with profits over the last 12 months currently rising almost 33 per cent year on year. The premises are simply too small for a rapidly expanding business.
'We needed what we currently have for a £2.5million turnover, but now we need a lot more. We have to get out of the current site as soon as possible. The factory is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.'
According to Craig, they currently spend a lot of time juggling things around to make space, so new premises would make working conditions 'considerably more efficient'.
'A new factory would certainly secure the sanity of everybody in the building. It's the busiest time of the year just now and all the staff are working really hard. This isn't a job. It's an existence. It is really hard at the moment but the new plans were a light at the end of the tunnel.'
A suggestion to build a new factory on the land he put up for planning permission has been dismissed by Stevenson. It is in between two residential areas and would have a big impact on neighbours, he says. Lorries and vans would be going in and out up to 100 times a day and any factory built there would only cope with five to 10 years' growth, potentially resulting in an eyesore at the end of that period.
Whatever the outcome, he certainly doesn't want to hang around, and is anxious for a swift resolution: 'I want to know what's happening very quickly. I don't want to wait months and months for a decision. I want to be able to get going right now.'
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature please see Catering in Scotland magazine November/December 2006.
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