A PERTHSHIRE business is having difficulty recruiting home-grown talent.

Andrew Scarlett (40) left the Metropolitan Police in 1999 and started up Scarlett Scotland, which produces and markets a range of high quality honey under its own label.

The business is now one of the top five in its field in Scotland.

However, one of his main problems in maintaining momentum is finding trained beekeepers.

“Most of our beekeepers come from Poland, where agricultural students can specialise in the subject in their second year,” said Mr Scarlett, who is based at Longleys, near Meigle.

“This means that they are thoroughly grounded in the principles of the business and only have to learn our particular management system.

“Honey production is very much a hands-on business and the bee- keepers need to be able to understand what is going on in each hive in order to manage it. It’s a highly skilled job.

“I started with 40 hives. We now have over 1000 and have expanded the business into packing honey for our own label and also on contract. This year we expect to pack 60 tonnes of honey.”

Scarlett Scotland’s rapid expansion from one man’s business dream to one of the top honey producers in Scotland has come on the back of hard work and determination.

“I kept a few bees as a hobby but it was only when my wife and I decided we wanted to return to Scotland that I began to research the business thoroughly.”

The Business Gateway has been vital to Scarlett Scotland’s business development.

Brian Blackburn, from The Business Gateway in Perth, said, “We have helped Andrew with general business and marketing advice and have also been able to access two very substantial grants through the processing and marketing grant scheme to help with his capital investment in buildings and machinery.”