Specialist grower Scotherbs is celebrating “exciting” news after agreeing a new supply deal with high-end supermarket Waitrose.
The agreement will see a new range of Carse of Gowrie grown produce go on sale in the grocer’s six Scottish stores from Monday with the potential for even greater distribution to come.
The Longforgan-based family firm, already one of the largest suppliers of fresh herbs and herb-based products in the UK, is the name behind many of the lines on the shelves of a string of major supermarkets.
But it is hoped that a newly-developed brand fronted by and named after founder-director and former dairy farmer Robert Wilson will help the company trade on its Tayside roots and fresh credentials.
Waitrose is to replace all its existing hanging fresh herbs with the new Robert Wilson’s Herb House fresh herbs label, after working in partnership with the grower on the initiative.
Shoppers will therefore be able to pick up coriander, basil, mint, parsley and thyme grown on the banks of the Tay as part of the supermarket’s drive to increase the volume of locally-produced goods in its Scottish stores.
“For a supermarket to replace a range of herbs with our produce is a sign of great confidence in us,” Mr Wilson said.
“We’ve been developing the new range with Waitrose over the past year or so and this is a great step forwards for us.”
Scotherbs managing director Ronnie Leggett said the tie-up had excellent potential for the future, especially given expansion plans which will see Waitrose add three new stores in the coming years.
“Waitrose’s growth plans are very strong and Waitrose shoppers do significantly over-index in the purchase of herbs,” he said.
“It’s good business for us and we see it as a possibility for more development over time. We’re very excited about it.”
Mr Leggett said the company had gone “back to the start”, by focusing on Mr Wilson’s innovations since he started growing herbs in a greenhouse more than 25 years ago.
He said market research had shown customers were looking for a “great quality, a great range and great availability”.
“The feeling that it comes from somewhere local and from a family business has been key,” he said.
The company, which employs around 120 people and posted revenues of £6.5m during the year to the end of March 2013, harvests around 15,000kg of herbs from its 250 acres of land each week at the height of growing season but also imports around 12,000kg from overseas destinations, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Tenerife and Turkey, to enable it to service the supply chain 52 weeks a year. It also boasts a 2,000 square metre pack house, with state-of-the-art high care facility, which enables produce to be washed and chopped to customer specification.
Waitrose fresh produce buyer Gary Grace said he was delighted to add to the 400 lines the chain already carries from Scottish suppliers.
“Robert Wilson is regarded as one of the UK’s herb pioneers and we’re excited to now exclusively stock Perthshire fresh herbs in our Scottish branches,” he added.
“Robert Wilson’s Herb House herbs are freshly cut and selected by hand. The family has the same commitment to freshness and flavour as Waitrose, and we know our Scottish customers will be impressed by the quality.”