LOCH Fyne Oysters has clinched a breakthrough deal with upmarket grocer Waitrose, writes Scott Wright.
The Argyll-based seafood specialist, whose famous oyster bar overlooks Loch Fyne at Cairndow, has announced it will supply oysters to 60 Waitrose & Partners fish counters with oysters and mussels.
The deal comes as Loch Fyne targets growth in the supermarket sector, having built its reputation supplying high-end hotels and major sporting events. It recently began a trial at Morrisons stores in Scotland.
The value of the Waitrose deal was not disclosed.
Cameron Brown, managing director of Loch Fyne Oysters, said: “Both oysters and mussels contain a number of unique nutrients which have great health benefits, making them a wonderful option if you want a break from all the unhealthy food at Christmas. Mussels are in season right now and oysters are in season all year round, and our regular deliveries to Waitrose & Partners mean you can be assured that you are eating fresh selfish, responsibility farmed in the west coast of Scotland.”
Loch Fyne Oysters, established by landowner Jonny Noble and marine biologist Andy Lane 40 years ago, noted that its oysters and mussels are grown in clean waters and supplied in minimal packaging.
A spokeswoman noted that the Waitrose deal was part of a strategy to put Loch Fyne on a “strong footing” ahead of Brexit. However, she said the company will have some protection against any difficulties Brexit may spell for trading with the EU because it sells its products worldwide.
The most up to date accounts for Loch Fyne show that the firm narrowed losses to £528,457 from £709,278 in the year ended October 31, 2017. Directors noted that, despite the improved results, it had been a “mixed year”.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here