Name: Stewart Hawthorn

Age: 54

What is your business called?

Loch Long Salmon.

Where is it based?

Our first semi-closed farm will be based in Loch Long but ultimately we expect to operate all over Scotland. I work from home in Stirling and we have an office in Edinburgh. I am lucky to be able to have the kind of work pattern that allows me to see so much of the beautiful Scottish countryside.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

We will be the first salmon farmer in Scotland to use semi-closed systems to grow our fish. Semi-closed farming systems look much like conventional open net pens from above. But under the water they have an opaque, impenetrable outer barrier made of marine material that surrounds the fish net. Clean, cold water is continuously pumped through the enclosure from deep below the surface.

We think these systems are optimal in terms of fish welfare and environmental impact.

What is its turnover?

We are at the start-up phase in our business cycle, but once we have multiple sites developed and operational our goal is to be a strong mid-size player in the Scottish salmon farming sector.

How many employees?

We currently have a management team of three, supported by Scottish contractors. Our first farm will directly employ 12 people. We expect the same number to be employed at each subsequent farm. More people will be employed in the processing and sales functions as well as in logistics and the supply chain.

When was it formed?

We started Loch Long Salmon in 2019. The process of gaining approval for a fish farm is, rightly, rigorous and requires a great deal of environmental analysis and modelling.

We needed to make sure we had full confidence in the farming systems and have visited farms in Norway and Canada where semi-closed systems are already in use.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I have been working in the aquaculture sector for more than 30 years, mostly in the production and sales of farmed salmon and trout. My wife established a company that supplies net washing machines and other equipment to the fish farming sector in 2016.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

By chance, I got speaking to Christoph Harwood of Simply Blue Group (which works on renewable energy and aquaculture projects) on the Scottish stand at the AquaNor trade show. We shared a few beers and we decided to work together on a new kind of salmon farming venture in Scotland.

In the first instance we funded the early development ourselves. Subsequently we have raised additional funds after presenting our vision to a number of interested parties, with Golden Acre Foods joining us a shareholder in 2021.

What was your biggest break?

It’s been steady work, knowing where we want to get to. Our biggest break will be approval for our first farm, hopefully early next year so we can really show what we can do.

What was your worst moment?

I get frustrated sometimes at the length of time some things take but these processes are there for a reason. Covid-19 has also been a real challenge. I love meeting people where we are seeking permission to work, but having to use video calls hasn’t allowed me to get to know people the same way.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

Working with good people who share our vision for the firm and getting to be in and see so many beautiful parts of Scotland is a real bonus.

What do you least enjoy?

While adopting and using technology has been critical to allowing us to progress, when the PC breaks, the dog starts to bark, or the doorbell rings in the middle of an important video meeting it can be a bit frustrating!

What is your biggest bugbear?

Time. I agree with the need for a thorough assessment of our proposals but it all takes time. I’d love to be farming now, but we have to get the relevant permissions, build the shore base and the farming infrastructure for us to start with.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

We’d like to see at least five of these farms up and running within the next five years producing salmon for the UK and European markets.

I’d like to see our fish being recognised for being the best in class in terms of quality and taste but also for our business’s environmental stewardship and fish welfare credentials.

What single thing would most help?

It would be great if people living in cities understood where food comes from. It takes hard work, care and a lot of emotion from hundreds or thousands of people to make that happen. I think if people understood where their food comes from, what it takes to produce and the complexity of that process, we might increase understanding about how we can produce healthy food without harming the environment.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Patience!

How do you relax?

I enjoy sailing around different lochs in Scotland and have always enjoyed being on the water and in the natural environment. That is one of the reasons why I am so excited about Loch Long Salmon and the technology we are going to use in Scotland for the first time.