A Scottish food producer has hailed a 538% sales increase since April last year and is anticipating further significant growth.
It comes after receiving support from Scotland’s national business advice service, Business Gateway.
Based on the Isle of Whalsay in Shetland, Whalsay Made produces homemade preserves, chutneys and sauces including sweet chilli sauce, gin and lime marmalade and carrot marmalade.
Initially a small operation providing products directly to those in the local area, owner Donna Polson moved to scale up her offering in 2019 and turned to Business Gateway for support.
The success and significant demand for her products has meant that the business is now in a position to expand, and she is working with Business Gateway to identify funding opportunities to allow for the construction of new business premises close to her house.
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This will enable the growth of Whalsay Made, which is currently run out of Ms Polson's kitchen following approval by the Shetland Islands Council Environmental Health Department
Before initially launching Whalsay Made, she attended the advice body's two-day course on running a business.
Following this, Business Gateway introduced her to several owners of local delis who were interested in stocking her products while her adviser reviewed her business plan, gave advice on company regulations, and provided marketing support.
During lockdown, Ms Polson worked with Business Gateway as she adapted her business to the pandemic and introduced a delivery service.
This has led to significant demand for products such as rhubarb and ginger jam and beetroot chutney products have also been included in a number of gift sets and Father’s Day hampers that were put together by local suppliers based in Shetland.
Ms Polson also received support from DigitalBoost, Scotland’s national digital skills training programme, and is in the process of upgrading her website to allow for a virtual shop in direct response to customer demand for online shopping.
She said: “This growth has meant I can think about expanding my business. I hope to soon take on my first employee to support with orders and deliveries and I’m continuing to work with Business Gateway to apply for funding that will allow me to build a bespoke space for my business.
“I feel extremely fortunate to be in this position and cannot thank Business Gateway or my adviser enough for their encouragement and advice over the last 12 months, which has given me the confidence to take a chance on my product.”
Kirsten Nicolson, Business Gateway, said: “Our advisers are perfectly placed to support you with a range of questions related to starting a business, whether that is on your business plan or on topics such as funding or marketing. This support is complimented by our DigitalBoost programme that helps get businesses online and exploiting all the opportunities this brings.
“This range of services really comes together and can help grow your business over the long-term and this is exactly what has happened with Whalsay Made. We look forward to working with Donna as she enters this next phase of expansion.”
For further information about how Business Gateway can help you start your business or adapt to the pandemic, visit https://www.bgateway.com/
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