A SCOTTISH firm has landed a major deal to make a new range of Marks and Spencer crisps.
Taylors Snacks, based in the village of Errol in Perth and Kinross, have added 30 new staff members as a result of winning the contract to produce M&S’s new Extreme Ridge range.
After almost two years of discussions and collaborations with the retail giant the “deeply ridged for extreme flavour and crunch” crisps entered 900 stores across the UK last week.
James Taylor, managing director of Taylors Snacks, told The Courier that the collaboration with M&S is one of the company's greatest achievements and that he is delighted with the launch.
“We had an initial visit from M&S in the summer in ‘23,” he said.
“In March last year, we were awarded the business after several talks and work on getting the seasoning right.
“It’s a tighter ridge compared to our Taylors range and has a different texture. It’s thinner cut and crispier – a lighter bite.
“On the back of the contract, it has created around 30 jobs – everything from production staff, to warehouse, to our quality control technical team.
“This feels like this is one of our biggest achievements to successfully launch a range with M&S.
“The team has worked incredibly hard. Everyone has pulled together and we are delighted with the quality of product we’ve achieved.”
The Extreme Ridge range comes in a variety of six flavours, including cheese and onion, sizzling steak and chicken curry.
The Taylor family, who have been farmers for four generations, originally set up their snack venture with one of Scotland’s biggest food brands, Mackie’s, in 2009.
The family bought out Mackie’s shareholding in 2022 and rebranded as Taylors Snacks and have seen their Errol operation grow from 50 to 90 staff in the last three years.
Taylor said there is potential to expand from Errol, business already has a further 90 staff working in Sheffield after its acquisition of popcorn firm South Yorkshire Foods in 2022 and have ambitions to become B-Corp certified.
“I think we’ve demonstrated in Scotland just how successful we’ve been with a unique style of product. We definitely believe there’s room for that across the UK.
“There’s also the potential requirement in the next couple of years for an expansion to the factory in Errol. That would be a new production facility and frying line.
“Other ambitions are to make our range healthier over the next 10 years and achieve B-Corp status.”
