HARD WORK, dedication and a passion for the product have been the major ingredients in turning a modest farm diversification into a major food business specialising in culinary herbs, writes Ewan Pate, farming editor.

Scotherbs has been carefully developed by Robert and Sylvia Wilson and their daughter Fiona Lamotte so that its production matches the needs of a changing market.

Such has been the explosion of interest in herbs that the business has doubled its turnover in each of the last three years to a figure of £7.4 million.

Yesterday members of the agricultural press were given the opportunity to inspect a new packhouse constructed by Scotherbs on a greenfield site beside the A90 at Longforgan.

The building, which represents a seven-figure invest- ment, replaces older facilities nearby which had simply become outgrown.

Fiona, who is now managing director of the family business, said, “It is pretty scary making an investment on this scale but there was really no alternative if we were to keep developing the business.”

The 2000 square metre temperature-controlled building provides space for over 100 of the 123- strong workforce to pack and distribute 36 different herbs and a range of added value products to a customers including most of the multiple retailers. For example Scotherbs supply 50% of Tesco’s UK requirements servicing five depots daily.

But the firm has been careful to keep a wide portfolio of customers and a significant proportion of the output leaves Longforgan in its own packaging destined for wholesale markets.

The next major investment, now at the planning stage, is the construction of five acres of glasshouses. This will cost between £1.5 and £2 million and may involve the use of alternative energy sources to provide the heat, either from a geothermal system or from locally grown biomass.

“We really want to be able to extend our season and reduce the reliance on imports. Horticulture has been different from other sectors in that there have been no subsidies and there has been a lack of investment,” said Mrs Wilson.

“We have grown herbs abroad ourselves, including in Tenerife, but we would prefer to extend the season here—especially for basil, chives and mint.”

Around 65% of the herbs handled by Scotherbs have to be imported, despite having over 100 acres under outdoor cultivation in the Carse of Gowrie and seven acres under polytunnels.

Normally there are between 15 and 18 outdoor staff employed in planting, hand weeding and harvesting. Chemical weed control in such specialised crops is not always possible.

“We have been very fortunate in the way the fresh herb sector has grown,” added Mrs Lamotte “Celebrity chefs have been great friends to the industry. Can you think of any set of ingredients which are used more in their recipes?”

The admiration of chefs was reciprocated when Robert Wilson was awarded a Scottish Chefs Association achievement award.

The family have done a great deal to encourage the use of herbs, including at one stage running a cookery school and now rolling out an educational package for local schoolchildren designed to fit the curriculum for excellence programme.

The business started in 1984 when Robert Wilson became disillusioned with dairy farming. The cows were sold from the home farm at Waterybutts, Errol. A poultry business turning out 250 chickens per week and a bed and breakfast enterprise took up some of the slack.

“My husband was 50 when we made the change so it was a bold step to take. We briefly thought about making artisan cheeses but opted for herbs in a large walled garden.

“For 17 years we sold pot herbs to retail customers and developed a coffee shop and restaurant, but it became obvious that the market for culinary herbs was taking off,” said Mrs Wilson.

It turned out to be a wise decision which has been recognised by various awards, including Mr Wilson being chosen Radio 4 Farmer of the Year in 2007 and a Best Performing Business award (25-250 employees) in the Tayside Business Awards 2008.

The business has become a major employer. There are now 18 different nationalities represented in the workforce and signs in the packhouse are printed in four languages.

As farm diversifications go Scotherbs has be-come a major success, but is still very much a family concern.