RAW HIDE GOING GLOBAL TALKING BUSINESS - ANM Group

ISSUE 35 JULY 2011 

THE CORPORATE MAGAZINE OF ANM GROUP 

Journal 

PLUS 

Summer show 

& sale 

supplement 

RAW HIDE 

ANM hides are destined to 

make some of the world’s 

most prestigious products 

GOING GLOBAL 

Supreme quality products 

take Scotch Premier Meat 

onto the European stage 

TALKING 

BUSINESS 

ANM Group chief executive 

Alan Craig sets his sights 

on the premier league

Contents 

JOURNAL MAGAZINE ~ JULY 2011 

04 GROUP NEWS 

A round-up of all the news from 

ANM Group and its companies 

08 STRUCTURE 

ANM Group now has a new operating 

structure. The Journal reports 

10 HIDE AND SLEEK 

Hides from Scotch Premier will be used 

to make top-quality leather products 

14 THE INTERVIEW 

Group chief executive Alan Craig 

talks business with David Cameron 

18 GOING GLOBAL 

Quality meat from Inverurie is 

becoming renowned across Europe 

23 COMMERCIAL SUCCESS 

TSA has successfully handled its 

biggest-ever commercial sale 

26 LABOUR OF LOVE 

One family’s farming success without 

the Single Farm Payment 

29 POWER PLAY 

A&N Estates support one farmer’s 

wind farming ambitions 

32 NEGOTIATE, NEGOTIATE 

How to drive the best bargain when 

the time comes to sell up 

10 

14 

26 

Welcome to 

your new 

magazine from 

the ANM Group 

ANM Group is changing and 

driving forward into a new era 

that we are confident will bring 

continued success to the company 

and to our members. So, to 

reflect this, we have refreshed our 

magazine, the Journal, with new 

content and a new look. 

Our aim is to inform, educate 

and entertain our members about 

all aspects of the business and how 

it is performing on their behalf. 

However, the magazine has also 

set itself the task of projecting our 

company to the widest possible 

audience of customers, suppliers, 

decision-makers and the media. 

By doing so, we hope that it 

will become a very positive and 

powerful communications tool as 

we move forward. 

In this edition you will be able 

to read about how ANM Group 

hides are being made into some 

of the world’s most prestigious 

products. And, among other 

things, just how far Scotch Premier 

Meat’s produce is reaching around 

the globe. 

Members will also be able to 

read a special supplement that will 

highlight all the news and results 

from recent shows and events. 

As ever, we will welcome your 

comments. Enjoy! 

Bob Dow, editor 

bob.dow@anmgroup.co.uk 

Who makes Journal tick? 

READ CHRIS’ PIECE ON OUR 

PARTNERSHIP WITH SLG PAGE 10 

DAVID CAMERON 

One time news editor of the The 

Scotman, this ex-journo is learning 

the difference between a Friesian 

and an Aberdeen Angus…fast! 

BOB DOW 

Now driving ANM Group’s 

communications, Bob Dow knows 

a thing or two about the rural 

community: he’s from Auchnagatt 

CHRIS FITZGERALD 

Chris Fitzgerald doesn’t own 

an Aston Martin but he now 

knows where the leather in his 

dream car comes from 

Journal is produced by Connect Communications (Scotland) Ltd on behalf of The ANM Group. www.connectcommunications.co.uk 

MAIN OFFICE ANM Group, Thainstone Centre, Inverurie AB51 5XZ. Editor: Bob Dow email: bob.dow@anmgroup.co.uk ADVERTISING Jane Deane Tel: 0131 561 0020 

email: jane@connect communications.co.uk The views expressed in Journal are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of The ANM Group. The ANM Group does not 

endorse any goods or services advertised, nor any claims or representations made in any advertisement in Journal and accepts no liability to any person for loss or damage suffered as a 

consequence of their responding to, or placing reliance upon, any claim or representation made in any advertisement appearing in Journal. Readers should make appropriate enquiries 

and satisfy themselves before responding to any such advertisement, or placing reliance upon any such claim or representation. By so responding, or placing reliance, readers accept that 

they do so at their own risk. © The ANM Group 2011. ISSN: 1469-3054. Journal is printed on 100% recovered paper with FSC accreditation. 

JOURNAL 03

group news 

scotch premier meat 

SCOTCH PREMIER 

SIGNS NEW HIDES 

DEAL WITH SLG 

13,000gns 

a new price 

record 

thainstone 

CHAMPION FIRST EDITION 

THE UK’S largest manufacturer of 

bovine leather is to buy hides from the 

ANM Group in an exciting new business 

partnership. 

The hides from Inverurie-based Scotch 

Premier Meat (SPM) will be supplied direct 

in their thousands to Scottish Leather 

Group (SLG). 

SPM has negotiated an excellent deal 

with SLG that will see the quality hides 

from Scotch Premier making their way 

south to the company’s tanneries and 

processing plants in the West of Scotland. 

Malcohm Hetherington, SPM’s general 

manager, explained: “The Meat Division 

processes tens of thousands of head of 

cattle a year. That means a lot of hides. 

“The value of the hides has been at its 

highest level for many years. So, it made 

a lot of sense for us to be doing business 

with SLG who are one of the UK’s top 

leather producers and so maximising our 

return from the fifth quarter. 

“We are all looking forward to a long 

and successful relationship with the team 

at SLG.” 

Gareth Scott, hide procurement manager 

at NCT, one of the SLG tanneries, 

explained that for today’s market, only the 

best hides would eventually get through the 

process. And this, he added, was where 

the quality of the Scotch Premier hides 

comes into its own. 

FIND OUT HOW WE’RE 

WORKING WITH SCOTTISH 

LEATHER GROUP PAGE 10 

04 

CHAMPION Charolais 

bull Inverlochy Edition 

proved to be a Thainstone 

record breaker at this 

year’s Spring Show. 

The 21-month-old 

animal, bred by father and 

son John and Raymond 

Irvine, of Inverlochy, 

Tomintoul, Banffshire, was 

sold for 13,000gns, a new 

price record for the 

Thainstone Centre 

at Inverurie. 

community 

DEBUT FOR NEW 

ANM SHOW VAN 

ANM’S SHOW VAN has been a regular 

feature around the agricultural shows of the 

North-East and Highlands for many years. 

But now the van, which has always 

drawn large crowds wherever it goes, has a 

completely new look. 

Bedecked in the new ANM Group 

livery, the van made its debut recently at 

“Scotland’s Beef Event”. 

Organised for the first time by the 

National Beef Association, it was staged in 

June at Corskie Farm, Garmouth, Moray, 

and opened by the BBC Countryfile 

presenter, Adam Henson. 

The show van was a huge success drawing 

hundreds of visitors throughout the day. 

He was bought by 

William Forbes, of 

Dalrachie Farm, 

Ballindalloch, Banffshire, at 

the pedigree cattle show 

and sale held by Aberdeen 

& Northern Marts at the 

Royal Northern Spring 

Show. The price paid beat 

the previous centre record 

of 10,000gns, set at last 

year’s Spring Show. 

The show had its 

biggest ever entry with 

138 bulls from across 

Scotland, underlining 

Thainstone’s growing 

reputation as a quality bull 

sale centre. 

Around 8000-people 

attended the Spring Show, 

which had a record 124 

trade stands, and is 

organised by the Royal 

Northern Agricultural 

Society. 

www.anmgroup.co.uk 

Proudly proclaiming the ANM Group 

message, the van acts as a focal point for the 

company’s staff to meet and greet members 

and others from the agricultural community. 

Inside, the van has a series of new 

information boards which tell the story of the 

ANM Group and all that it has to offer today. 

This year, the van will be visiting New 

Deer Show, Nairn Show, Turriff Show, Black 

Isle Show, Keith Show, Grantown-on-Spey 

Show and then Orkney County Show. 

JOURNAL

group news 

What would you like to tell us about? If you have a story email bob.dow@anmgroup.co.uk 

industry 

It’s time to tell the 

true meat story 

A MAJOR step change is needed 

in the way the meat industry 

promotes itself to the general 

public, according to the chief 

executive of ANM Group, 

Scotland’s largest farmers’ 

cooperative. 

Alan Craig believes not nearly 

enough is being done to educate 

and inform consumers about how 

the calories on their plate are 

being delivered. 

And, in a frank interview in 

the Journal, the chief executive 

has challenged the “fraction of a 

minority” that question the ethics 

and practices of the meat industry 

to learn more about the facts 

before they criticise. 

“The viewing public is screaming 

out for more information and our 

industry needs to get back on the 

front foot, tell them about it and 

participate in the process. We 

need to educate and, to a degree 

entertain, the consumer as part 

of this process.” 

Alan Craig argues that ANM 

Group is a key part of an essential 

industry whose products can be 

found in the refrigerators and 

cupboards of 97% of European 

households. Yet he, and his 

colleagues across the sector, are 

continually fighting a rear-guard 

war of attrition with a small 

number of people, most of whom 

are fighting for the wrong reasons 

“VIEWERS NO 

LONGER NEED TO 

BE WEANED INTO 

AGRICULTURE 

BY WATCHING 

‘STROKE THE 

DONKEY’ TYPES 

OF FARMS.” 

GROUP CE ALAN CRAIG 

or simply through a basic lack of 

knowledge. 

“There remains a void of 

ignorance in the wider population 

as to how food calories are 

delivered to our plates. The irony 

is that you couldn’t make up the 

‘food’ story, and the truth, without 

any embellishment, is fascinating.” 

The chief executive maintains 

that the irony of today’s situation is 

that while scientists and engineers 

could put a man on the Moon in 

1969 with less computer power 

and technology than is found in 

a Ford Fiesta today, nobody has 

been able to develop a programme 

for how the food and agriculture 

sector sells itself effectively to a 

sceptical general public. 

He maintains that the current 

crop of celebrity chefs and ruralbased 

television programme 

presenters are now getting very 

close to reality. And, he says, it is 

heartening to see early evening 

prime time slots now taken up by 

agri and food-based content. 

“Viewers no longer need to 

be weaned into agriculture by 

watching ‘stroke the donkey’ 

types of farms; they are perfectly 

comfortable watching a vet being 

interviewed whilst being up to 

his armpit in an Aberdeen Angus 

cow’s uterus. We no longer need 

to allow the public to think beef 

olives are grown in greenhouses.” 

So, he says, it is time for 

all those connected with the 

industry to unify in search of a 

formula in which the public can 

be educated successfully on the 

true story that lies behind the 

meat on their plates. 

READ THE ENTIRE 

INTERVIEW WITH 

ALAN CRAIG PAGE 14 

charcuterie 

CHARCUTERIE COOKS UP 

A HEALTHY HAGGIS RECIPE 

A bit tasty: Skiers 

Fraser (left) and 

Alastair Mann share 

some healthy haggis 

with QMS 

ambassador and 

reigning Miss UK 

Katherine Brown 

A NEW healthy version of 

Scotland’s most famous national 

dish, the haggis, has been 

developed by ANM Group’s 

Charcuterie business. 

The firm worked with Quality 

Meat Scotland to come up with a 

haggis that is 70% lower in salt 

and 35% lower in saturated fat 

than a normal haggis. 

It was part of a project to 

produce healthy versions of eight 

traditional Scottish favourites 

without losing the flavour. 

Charcuterie general manager 

Malcolm Morrison and his team 

rose to the challenge at the 

company’s base at Twechar near 

Glasgow, working against a tight 

deadline. The end result was 

produced in time for Burns 

Night and is proving popular 

with the public. 

Carol McLaren of QMS said: 

“Charcuterie had some technical 

challenges which they overcame. 

We appreciated their efforts.” 

Malcolm Morrison added: 

“The team did a fantastic job. 

The philosophy behind it is to 

help make haggis an all-yearround 

dish for all age groups.” 

JOURNAL 

05

group news 

taste of grampian 

Foodies 

flock to 

Thainstone 

MORE THAN 12,000 people 

flocked to this year’s Taste of 

Grampian, one of Scotland’s 

biggest food festivals, at the 

ANM Group headquarters at 

Thainstone, Inverurie. 

The one-day event in June was a 

spectacular showcase for the best 

food and drink produce available 

north of the border, along with 

cookery demonstrations by top 

celebrity chefs. 

In its 12th year, the event, 

organised by ANM Group, 

Aberdeenshire Council, Scottish 

Enterprise, the Grampian Food 

Forum and the Press & Journal, is 

more popular than ever before. 

Simon Rimmer, who presents 

the BBC show Something for the 

Weekend, took part in a host of 

demonstrations, as did popular 

French chef Jean-Christophe 

Novelli, before the pair held 

a cooking duel refereed by 

another TV chef, Alan Coxon, 

with Simon narrowly winning the 

audience vote. 

Simon said: “This part of the 

Chefs in combat: TV’s Alan Coxon (centre) keeps rival chefs Simon Rimmer and 

Jean-Christophe Novelli apart at this year’s Taste of Grampian event 

world has access to magnificent 

beef and fantastic fish and this 

festival is a super way to show 

your food at its very best.” 

Scotland’s First Minister 

Alex Salmond dropped in by 

“THIS PART OF THE WORLD HAS ACCESS TO 

MAGNIFICENT BEEF AND FANTASTIC FISH 

AND THIS FESTIVAL IS A SUPER WAY TO 

SHOW YOUR FOOD AT ITS VERY BEST. ” 

SIMON RIMMER 

helicopter with chef Craig 

Wilson, of Eat on the Green at 

Udny, Aberdeenshire. 

He joined Craig for part of his 

challenge to fly round Scotland 

in a day, cooking in each city, to 

raise money for Monty’s Maggie 

Appeal and Breast Cancer Care. 

Taste of Grampian chairman 

Brian Pack said: “It was a 

marvellous day out for so many 

people and some of the stands 

were reporting incredible sales.” 

thainstone 

NEW FOCUS FOR HIGHLAND CUISINE 

THE ANM Group is 

implementing changes at its 

Highland Cuisine catering arm 

following a strategic review. 

Highland Cuisine is to 

concentrate its main business 

efforts at the Thainstone Centre, 

Inverurie, and will continue to 

provide its long-established 

outside catering service. 

Highland Cuisine operates 

the acclaimed Barn & Bushel 

restaurant at Thainstone along 

with the Gallery Restaurant 

and TC’s diner. It also provides 

catering for events at the 

Thainstone Exchange and will 

continue to build on its excellent 

reputation as a quality outside 

caterer for weddings and other 

major events. 

The strategic review has been 

carried out in conjunction with 

Stirling-based Inspire Catering and 

Inspire staff have been based at 

Thainstone during the appraisal. 

John Gregor of the ANM 

Group, who has been in charge 

of the review, said: “We now 

have a clear vision on how to 

take the business forward and 

focus on what Highland Cuisine 

does best. 

“The Thainstone Exchange is a 

hugely popular venue, especially 

for its festive party nights, and we 

want to build on that success.” 

“There is a lot of work going 

on into developing the food 

offer here at Thainstone, not just 

for the Exchange but also our 

restaurants and I think, given time, 

everyone will be delighted by the 

changes we will introduce.” 

As a result of the review, the 

Caterhire business provided by 

Highland Cuisine, which hired out 

catering equipment to the trade, 

has been discontinued. All existing 

orders are being honoured. 

The two Harvesters sandwich 

premises in Aberdeen will 

not have their current leases 

renewed. Both premises will 

continue to operate as normal 

meantime and are currently being 

marketed with interest already 

being shown in the outlets. 

06 

JOURNAL

group news 

Scotch Premier Meat is going global. Find out where it’s products are headed on page 18 

tsa 

NEW CENTRAL BELT 

FACILITIES FOR TSA 

THAINSTONE Specialist Auctions (TSA) 

has opened a new office and storage facility 

at Blantyre, Glasgow, aimed at enhancing its 

service to clients throughout the Central Belt. 

The company, part of the ANM Group, has 

operated from a site at Kirknewton on the 

outskirts of Edinburgh for the past four years 

and at Livingston for two years before that. 

However, the growing demand for TSA’s 

services and the company’s commitment to 

growth has meant that moving to larger and 

more strategically placed premises was 

a necessity. 

Grant Rogerson, TSA’s general manager, 

explained: “We greatly appreciate the 

business that comes to us from our clients 

in the Central Belt. We believe that the new 

premises in Blantyre will allow us to continue 

to provide an efficient and cost effective 

service to them.” 

The general manager reckons that there 

is a real opportunity for TSA to grow its 

market share but in order to do so, it must 

continue to raise the bar on what it is able to 

offer and the level of service it provides. 

“I believe that with the team we have 

working from the Blantyre office, we will be 

able to do just that,” he said. 

The TSA staff based at Blantyre will 

include Les Reid, covering a wide area of 

Scotland, and George Beattie and James 

Scott, who will focus their attention on the 

Central Belt. 

“We have three highly experienced 

members of our team now in Blantyre and 

charcuterie 

FIRST RETAIL RANGE 

HITS THE MARKET 

COOKED meat 

manufacturer Charcuterie 

has launched its first ever 

retail food range. 

The Scotch Premier 

range is a mouth-watering 

selection of black pudding, 

haggis and mini-breakfast 

packs aimed at the multiple 

retail market. 

They were developed by 

Charcuterie’s Twechar plant 

near Glasgow, using supplies 

from Scotch Premier Meat 

in Inverurie. 

The range includes sliced 

TSA General Manager, Grant Rogerson 

they are more than capable of supporting 

all our clients requirements,” Grant 

added. “They can be further supported, if 

necessary, by the team here at Thainstone.” 

The move to Blantyre and the office and 

storage space that has been leased is the 

first phase of development. As the business 

continues to grow, more space is available 

at the location as and when it is required. 

In addition, the company is not leaving 

the Kirknewton site entirely as they have 

retained space to provide a storage facility for 

clients in the Lothians and Borders regions. 

and individual black pudding 

and haggis along with minibreakfast 

packs containing 

sliced Lorne sausage, black 

pudding and white pudding. 

Both the black pudding 

and haggis recipes were 

developed by Charcuterie’s 

own in-house team. 

Malcolm Morrison, 

general manager at 

Charcuterie, said: “This 

range has fantastic tasting 

food and we are convinced 

that customers will love it.” 

meat division 

SHOW DEBUT 

FOR MEAT 

DIVISION 

ANM Group’s new Meat Division was 

unveiled recently at Britain’s biggest food 

and drink event, IFE 2011, at the ExCel 

exhibition centre in London. 

The company’s meat businesses have 

been integrated into one unit, which is 

already bringing benefits to the Group. 

Scotch Premier Meat, Yorkshire Premier 

Meat and Charcuterie are now using their 

combined strengths to trade together 

under an ANM Meat Division banner. 

While each business will still retain its 

own identity, they will have increased 

co-operation between each other to boost 

sales and raise the overall business profile. 

David Fleetwood, managing director of 

the new ANM Meat Division, said: “We now 

have a unique combination of expertise, 

experience and capacity which can meet 

customers’ requirements and offer value.” 

The new look Meat Division stand 

attracted a lot of attention during the IFE 

with hundreds of food buyers eager to 

sample the wares. 

David added: “We felt that the show 

was a great success for us. It took our new 

message out into our sector where it was 

very well received.” 

The change has also seen Malcohm 

Hetherington take over as general manager 

of Scotch Premier Meat’s two sites at 

Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. 

John Elliot is now general manger of 

the Yorkshire Premier Meat plant in 

Sheffield with Stirling Oswin taking over 

as general manager of the YPM site at 

South Kirkby. 

Malcolm Morrison remains general 

manager at Charcuterie at Twechar 

near Glasgow. 

JOURNAL 07

group news 

To read about TSA’s biggest ever commercial sale, turn to page 23 

structure 

Age of change 

SIGNIFICANT changes have 

been made to the operating 

structure of the ANM Group and 

its companies to help drive the 

business forward and improve 

overall performance. 

The company’s three meat 

businesses, Scotch Premier Meat, 

Yorkshire Premier Meat and 

Charcuterie, have been brought 

together under one umbrella as 

the ANM Group Meat Division. 

David Fleetwood is managing 

director of the division, having 

previously worked as group 

operations director with Vion 

and before that in the same role 

at Anglo Beef Producers. 

The change brings benefits 

to the meat companies through 

closer co-operation and crossselling. 

It also allows the new 

business to offer customers 

tailored solutions for a wide 

range of red meat products 

from sandwich fillings to the 

very best steak. 

The new Livestock Auction 

Division has been restructured 

to now take in Aberdeen & 

Northern Marts along with 

the Thainstone Exchange and 

Highland Cuisine, all under the 

leadership of general manager 

John Gregor. 

John has been the 

general manager of 

the marts since 

1996 and was 

previously 

the business 

development 

manager. He 

was heavily 

involved in 

developing ANM 

Innovation 

~ 

Professionalism 

~ 

Dedication 

Group’s Thainstone headquarters 

into one of the biggest and most 

diverse agricultural centres in 

Europe. 

The new Livestock Division 

sees John take on the extra 

responsibility of Highland 

Cuisine, which works closely 

with the successful Thainstone 

Exchange for shows and events. 

“THE PERSONALITIES AND PROFESSIONALISM 

OF OUR STAFF AS WELL AS OUR 

PRESENTATION OF GOODS AND SERVICES 

HAVE TO BE CORRECT ON ALL LEVELS.” 

GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE ALAN CRAIG 

The final piece of the jigsaw 

is the creation of the Specialist 

Auctions Division under general 

manager Grant Rogerson, who in 

addition to Thainstone Specialist 

Auctions, takes on the added role 

and responsibility of Aberdeen & 

Northern Estates. 

That move will see both 

TSA and Estates staff 

come together in one 

office at the main 

Thainstone building. 

The rapidly expanding 

TSA has also opened a 

new Central Belt office 

in Blantyre, just outside 

Glasgow. 

Completing the executive lineup 

is the group financial director, 

Keith McCall. 

The senior management 

team will be supported on all 

activities by group managers 

Marilyn Paterson (training); 

Jennifer Graham (safety, health 

and environment) and Bob Dow 

(communications). 

ANM Group chief executive 

Alan Craig said the new structure 

was an essential part of building 

on the strength and diversity of 

the group’s activities. 

He explained: “To put it 

into context, we have been 

NEW GROUP 

MONEY MAN 

Looking after the purse strings 

for ANM Group is group 

finance director Keith McCall. 

He joined the business last 

year after working with Vion 

and Grampian Country Food 

Group for nine years. 

Prior to that Keith was the 

managing director and group 

finance director of Dawson 

Fabrics in Huddersfield, 

West Yorkshire. 

assembling a team of people 

capable of building ANM Group 

into a nationally recognised 

business in food, farming 

and finance. 

“The personalities and 

professionalism of our staff as 

well as our presentation of goods 

and services have to be correct 

on all levels.” 

The chief executive added: 

“We recognise the challenges 

ahead far outweigh the ones 

behind us. But we have an able 

team of people around us, 

confident that they can field 

whatever is thrown at them.” 

Meat Division Livestock Auctions Division Specialist Auctions Division 

08 

JOURNAL

partner profile 

ANM Group farmers are providing hides that are being used to 

make some of the most prestigious products in the world today. 

Chris Fitzgerald discovers how it’s being done 

Hide & Sleek 

ASTON MARTIN, a name that 

positively oozes luxury. Slip into the 

new cockpit of one of these supercars 

and you are gently enfolded by the 

silky softness of its seats, your senses 

assailed by the aromas of wealth and 

quality. 

If you are able to afford an Aston 

Martin, which sadly not many of us 

are, then you are almost certainly 

also the person who turns left when 

boarding a Singapore Airlines 

trans-continental flight, easing 

comfortably into the luxurious 

surroundings of your first class 

seat. 

But what is the common 

denominator in these two 

scenarios? It’s the leather. What 

many may not know, however, is 

that what has come to epitomise 

the luxurious life style of the rich 

and famous, actually started out 

among the cattle herds of ANM 

Group members. 

The company has recently entered 

an exciting new agreement with the 

prestigious Scottish Leather Group 

(SLG), based at Bridge of Weir just 

outside Glasgow, to whom they will 

supply significant quantities of high 

quality hides in the years ahead, 

many of which will eventually find 

themselves supporting many an 

expensive derriere! 

But this is business and good 

business for ANM Group. Group chief 

executive Alan Craig, explained: “This 

is a really important new relationship 

for us and I am delighted that we 

are working with such a successful 

company as Scottish Leather Group. 

I’m sure it will be an excellent 

partnership. 

“It is absolutely fascinating to see 

what SLG are able to do with the 

hides and the many extraordinary 

products that they become.” 

Today, hides are a very important 

part of the “fifth quarter”, the nonmeat 

elements of the beast after 

slaughter. It is only a matter 

of two years since the price of a hide 

was fetching just £17. Now, the market 

has recovered dramatically and in 

some cases is showing a threefold 

increase. 

“Prices fluctuate on the world 

market,” said Alan. “When demand 

goes up and supply stutters, the 

market can move quite considerably. 

Two years ago, hides were at a real 

low point. Demand had tailed off as 

the market in China went off the 

boil. Hides were being discounted 

heavily. 

“Since then it’s moved on 

again and demand has returned. 

The price has continued to rise 

every month for the past 24 

months,” he explained. 

So, what happens to the hides 

when they leave Inverurie bound 

for SLG? Well, it first makes its way 

to one of the group’s two tanneries, 

W J and W Lang Ltd or NCT Leather 

Ltd. 

“We buy in hides either fresh out of 

the abattoir twice a day, or buy it iced, 

chilled or salted,” explained Gareth 

Scott, hide procurement manager at 

NCT. 

“If iced, hides stay good for seven 

days, if chilled they’re good for 14 

days and if salted you’ve got them 

for up to nine months. Any hides we 

buy that aren’t suitable for our own 

production, we salt down for export.” 

But it isn’t a case of any old hide 

will do and this is where Scotch 

Premier’s stock comes into its own, 

according to Gareth. 

“If you take hides from prime 

cattle, approximately 18-24 

months old, fed in the house, 

they tend to give you a better 

selection than cattle that have 

10 JOURNAL


UNCOVERED 

Who is the Scottish 

Leather Group? 

Scottish Leather Group Ltd, formerly 

Scottish Tanning Industries Ltd, is the 

largest manufacturer of bovine leather in 

the United Kingdom. 

The group comprises of four leather 

manufacturing subsidiaries and a 

technology company, all located in the 

West of Scotland: Andrew Muirhead 

and Son Ltd, Bridge of Weir Leather 

Company Ltd, W J and W Lang Ltd, NCT 

Leather Ltd and SLG Technology Limited. 

It is a wholly privately owned, 

independent company, which was formed 

in 1965 and employs 550 people. 

Their specialist leathers are produced for 

a wide range of industries: automotive, 

furniture, marine, aviation, shoe and 

leather goods. The group’s export sales 

represent over 80 per cent of turnover. 

JOURNAL 11


FOR ASTON MARTIN, WHERE EVERY SINGLE CAR 

IS CUT TO ORDER, THE PARTS ALL LEAVE OUR 

FACTORY INDIVIDUALLY LABELLED AND 

MATCHED DIRECTLY TO A CHASSIS NUMBER 

JAMES LANG, SCOTTISH LEATHER GROUP DIRECTOR 

been out grazing in the fields, where they’ve 

been in contact with hedgerows or barbed 

wire fences,” he said. 

“Likewise, if you get more mature cattle, 

you find a lot of healed scars that are 

detrimental to the quality we’re looking for.” 

Once Gareth is happy with the hides, they 

are loaded into vessels for 22 hours, where they 

are limed. This involves the use of an acid to 

burn off the hair, dung and any other debris 

that is in the grain, the hair side of the hide. 

After that, Gareth said the hides are 

presented for fleshing, where excess fat is 

stripped. 

“Depending on the origin of the hides, we 

would either leave them whole or lime split 

them,” he said. 

“Lime splitting is taking the grain layer 

for quality leather use and the flesh side 

of the hide for collagen or cheaper leather 

products, such as for use in the cosmetic or 

suede markets.” 

Whatever the decision, the hides next 

go into the tan drums for another 24 hours 

and, depending on the end product NCT is 

looking to make, they either go through a 

‘wet blue’ process, which is a chrome-based 

tan, or a chrome-free process, which is based 

on aldehyde and synthetic tanning products 

– a more eco-friendly approach. 

“After that, the hides go through our final 

selection, where we’re looking at the whole 

area of the hides, their weight and their 

thickness,” Gareth said. “We have trained 

selectors who put the hides into the various 

grades depending on grain damage. Grain 

damage could be anything from scratches 

and disease to freeze burns or caesarean scars. 

“When the hides leave here, they’re half 

way to becoming a finished piece of leather.” 

James Lang, a director at Scottish Leather 

Group, explained that either Bridge of Weir 

Leather Company or Andrew Muirhead and 

Son will take on the hides that remain in the 

group for finishing. 

“The first thing we do is shave them,” he 

said. “This is to standardise the thickness of 

the hide. They then pass to the dye house, 

where we run an eight-hour process that 

dyes a batch of hides to the customer’s 

specification.” 

There then follows a wet-process, where 

the hides are not only dyed, but also receive 

a fat liquer, which is an oil to lubricate the 

fibre structure. 

The hide then moves to drying, where it 

passes through a setting machine. 

“This has a ‘sammying’ effect, squeezing 

the water out,” James explained. “It then 

moves to the vacuum dryer unit where it is 

placed grain-side onto a stainless steel plate, 

the dryer is closed and the water is sucked 

12 

JOURNAL


FROM LEFT: 

The finished leather is 

either hand-cut or 

chalk-marked for 

machine cutting. It is 

then placed on tresses 

for final inspection 

out. The hide leaves 

there damp, and is hotair-dried 

to 15 per cent 

relative humidity. 

“It then moves to 

the finishing process.” 

As Bridge of Weir 

only buys in hides to customer-order, colours 

can be mixed and prepared in advance. 

A roll-coating device is used to apply the 

basecoat and thereafter spray coats are 

applied, building up the colour coats to the 

required specification. 

“Textures can then be applied to the hide 

using engraved rollers,” James said, “and 

finally a clear lacquer would be applied to seal 

the whole thing off.” 

Prior to final inspection, the leather goes 

through an area measurement machine and a 

label is generated that can trace the hide right 

back to the field it came from if necessary. 

“While all that’s going on, tests are being 

run in the lab to ensure our wet and dry rub 

fastness is to a high enough spec,” James 

said. “In other words, it ensures that when 

you sit on a car seat, say, the finish won’t rub 

off onto your clothes. We test the strength 

of our leather too. Very much to what the 

customer’s specifications are. 

“We will cut the hides for certain customers 

ourselves, as we do for Aston Martin, where 

every single car is cut to order. The parts all 

leave our factory individually labelled and 

matched directly to a chassis number.” 

The Bridge of Weir facility uses a CAT 

scan-style machine for part of its cutting, but 

a lot is done by hand too. When used, the 

machine identifies chalk marks applied by 

staff and cuts round them for a perfect finish. 

And that’s it. From a field in the North-east 

of Scotland to a piece of top-quality leather 

in an Aston Martin, Airbus or Vertu mobile 

phone, the process might be a skilled and 

complex one but it is also proving a lucrative 

one – for both ANM Group and SLG. 

From Aston 

Martin to 

Singapore 

Airlines, ANM 

Group hides 

will find 

themselves 

in some very 

interesting 

places… 

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, 

George Osborne, pulls his figures 

from a new red box whose 

exterior is SLG-made. 

UNCOVERED: PRODUCTS 

Jamie Oliver’s customers at Fifteen 

restaurant owe their comfortable 

dining experience to the experts at 

SLG in Bridge of Weir. 

Manchester City Football Club’s 

board of directors enjoy Andrew 

Muirhead leather in their plush 

boardroom suite. 

JOURNAL 13

Alan Craig is, by 

definition, a player 

manager. Now, 

ANM’s group 

chief executive is 

pushing his team for 

promotion to the top 

flight. Here, he talks 

to David Cameron 

ON THE BALL: 

Alan Craig can picture 

ANM Group’s place 

at the top table 

14 

JOURNAL

the interview 

Playing in the 

premier league 

You’ve been in the job as group chief 

executive two years now. Have you enjoyed 

it? Is it what you expected? 

Yes, thoroughly. Obviously, having been in 

the industry for so long, I knew what ANM’s 

primary livestock and meat interests were. 

What I wasn’t prepared for was the breadth 

and diversity of the Group’s other activities. I 

think some of my colleagues were getting some 

light amusement during my first few months 

in post when they got the ubiquitous reaction 

from me of ‘’we have a what!...where?’’ when 

enlightening me to yet another activity. So, 

one of the challenges during these early days 

was to stay focused and manage time based 

on the size or turnover of each of the 

businesses. Inevitably, this turned out 

to be easier said than done. 

Following in the footsteps of a 

‘big industry beast’ came with 

the inevitable demands to 

speak at events, participate 

in industry or political 

events and forums 

that seem to take 

up an inordinate 

amount of time 

in preparation. 

Coupled with 

this, I had also 

JOURNAL 

just become president of the Scottish meat 

industry’s trade association, so in the words 

of my late Irish mother-in-law: “I didn’t have 

time to bless myself!” Thankfully, I’ve had 

some really helpful folks around to help keep 

things straight. 

Trading conditions for your Meat 

Division in 2010 remained tough, yet ANM 

Group moved into profit for the first time in 

several years. How significant was this and 

what made the difference? 

Trading conditions began to get rather 

difficult from the first half of 2008 when the 

industry saw a significant step change in the 

price of cattle fatstock, so I was prepared to see 

substantial challenges in the meat activities of 

the business on arrival in May 2009. Margins 

in the abattoirs were on the deck at best and 

our further processed activities in Yorkshire 

were suffering from large swathes of recently 

purchased raw material stock failing to realise 

appropriate prices from our customer base. 

Marrying these issues to six meat plants 

operating well below capacity with the resulting 

costs of production were the ‘perfect storm’! 

We went about mitigating these challenges in 

a fairly classic action of identifying immediate, 

intermediate and long-term plans for the meat 

division. Tackling cost from both cutting or 

closing out over-capacity issues and growing or 

widening our customer base were short-term 

initiatives to stop bleeding cash. Putting together 

a team of professionals capable of presenting 

to, and serving, the owner of an independent 

butcher shop to the CEO of a multi-national 

retailer, was our next short to intermediate goal. 

However, as we examined our stock of plant 

and machinery, it quickly became apparent that 

significant investment would be required in this 

area also. That resource was swiftly deployed 

in restructuring and renewing asset and will 

continue to be a challenge into the future. 

The team is now in place and will, 

over the course of this financial year 

and next, construct the foundations of an 

efficient, effective and respected meat-based 

food group. Upon these foundations we will 

build volume, quality, service and margin 

enabling us to return value to our shareholders 

and help fulfill many of the aspirations of our 

founding members. 

What remain the biggest challenges you 

face in taking the business forward? 

We’re a ‘League 1 team with Premiership 

aspirations’ so we depend on many of our 

people playing out of their skins to get there. 

This has thrown up a few problems. First, 

convincing people that there is, in fact, a 

Premiership out there; second, that they are 

perfectly capable of playing there; and third, it 

will take time and patience, as well as blood, 

sweat and tears, to get there. If I’ve had a crash 

course in any subject over the last two years, 

it’s been patience. I struggle with patience. 

I was at the back of the queue when it was 

being handed out! Even as a kid, I never got 

my Airfix models as far as the painting stage 

without launching them prematurely against 

the kitchen wall. 

I can visualise and draw a tapestry but 

threading the needles and sewing it is not 

in my comfort zone. However, I remain 

absolutely conscious the bigger picture will 

have to be constructed one stitch at a time. 

Keeping the cash and P&L ahead of CAPEX 

is, and will remain, our biggest short and 

intermediate term challenge. 

You have talked about the importance of 

the relationship between the consumer and 

the agricultural sector. If you could do one 

thing to strengthen that relationship, what 

would it be? 

Education, entertainment and education. 

We are part of an essential industry. Our 

products can be found in the refrigerators and 

cupboards of 97% of European households, 

15

the interview 

yet we are continually fighting a rearguard war 

of attrition with a fraction of a minority of the 

population – of whom most are fighting us for 

the wrong reasons, particularly with carbon 

calculations. There remains a void of ignorance 

in the wider population as to how food calories 

are delivered to our plates. The irony is that you 

couldn’t make up the ‘food’ story and the truth, 

without any embellishment, is fascinating. 

However, the downside still remains that 

we put a man on the Moon in 1969 with less 

computer power and technology than you 

would find in a Ford Fiesta today, but nobody 

has quite cracked a formula of how the food 

and agriculture sector sells itself to a rather 

sceptical general public. 

Our current ‘stable’ of celebrity chefs and 

rural-based television programme presenters 

are now really getting close to reality. It is 

heartening to see early evening prime time slots 

now taken up by agri and food-based content. 

Viewers no longer need to be weaned into 

agriculture by watching ‘stroke the donkey’ 

types of farms; they are perfectly comfortable 

watching a vet being interviewed whilst being 

up to his armpit in an Aberdeen Angus cow’s 

uterus. We no longer need to allow the public 

to think beef olives are grown in greenhouses. 

The viewing public is screaming out for more 

information and our industry needs to get 

back on the front foot, tell them about it and 

participate in the process. 

The traditional heart of ANM Group 

has been the Marts business. How has this 

performed and what are you now focusing 

on to move this forward? 

The nucleus of the business is at 

Thainstone, the Group’s head office and 

Europe’s largest livestock market and business 

centre for agricultural-based companies. 

Adding in the volume from our livestock 

centre at Quoybrae, we handle over 350,000 

head of livestock every year. The majority 

of the stock is derived from the country’s 

stratified system of production; breeding 

stock on the high and less favoured land, with 

the calves and yearlings being sold through 

our auctions to finishers farming low ground 

across east and central Scotland. 

The hurdles we face in future will be 

maintaining that volume. Although global 

demand for meat proteins continue to rise, 

the bulk of those commodities will likely be 

created in areas of the planet with the lowest 

cost point of production. Obviously the way 

in which subsidies are paid to farmers to offset 

those varying costs of productivity is crucial. 

The current system, based predominantly on 

a level of productivity ten years ago regardless 

of current practices and volumes, was and 

remains one of the riskiest strategies of securing 

supply. It can and does exclude many young 

UPON THESE 

FOUNDATIONS WE 

WILL BUILD VOLUME, 

QUALITY, SERVICE AND 

MARGIN ENABLING US 

TO RETURN VALUE TO 

OUR SHAREHOLDERS 

AND HELP FULFILL 

MANY OF THE 

ASPIRATIONS OF OUR 

FOUNDING MEMBERS 

TALKING SHOP: 

The industry has 

to learn quickly how to 

take its message 

to the consumer 

people getting a foot on 

the bottom rung of the 

production ladder and, 

sadly, these next rounds 

of CAP reforms look 

unlikely to tackle with any degree of potency, 

either of those issues. As a result, it would not 

surprise me to see the original spirit of the 1950 

Treaty of Rome having to be reintroduced at 

some stage in the next decade or two. 

You can founder within an industry in 

ascendancy in the same way as you can 

prosper in one in decline, so we are assuming 

livestock numbers will continue to contract 

slowly and that we have to gain market share 

through service, quality, price and innovation. 

In addition, we have to expand the functions 

within our business which don’t rely entirely 

on livestock but that do operate from within 

the same cost infrastructure. 

Thainstone Specialist Auctions (TSA), for 

example, has been trading from strength to 

strength and continues to gain ground on the 

back of the current macro-economic climate. 

If you were to paint a picture of where 

you seeing the business in the next year, 

what would it look like? 

Although unique in the British Isles, our 

identity is fairly straightforward. We are 

in the farming, food and finance business. 

Everything we do has to relate or contribute 

to that core business. 

Most food and farming co-operatives are 

formed for similar reasons. They exist to give 

members an alternative, credible or enhanced 

value into the marketplace for a commoditybased 

product. For as long as I have an ANM 

clock-on card and a pulse in my veins, that’s 

the model I will continue to promote. History 

has given us examples of those co-operative 

businesses which diversify into obscurity or 

lose sight or appreciation of that original aim 

then tend to fail or fragment. 

Talk a bit about yourself. What’s your 

background? 

The move into long trousers, full-time 

work, marriage and fatherhood all seemed 

to happen in the same year for me, so it’s not 

surprising the grandchildren are hitting the 

ground now quicker than calves out of a herd 

of Charolais cows. We’ve one on solids, one 

suckler, both young bulls, and ANOTHER one 

on the way. Funnily enough they, along with 

all the latest baby care plant and machinery, all 

seem to descend on our house just when I’m 

looking for some peace and tranquility. 

Thankfully I’ve just signed up to do a half 

marathon with one of our customers in 

October, so the training should keep me out of 

harm’s way for a few months. 

JOURNAL 17

insight 

Inverurie may be home to Scotch Premier Meat but, its high-quality 

products are becoming renowned throughout the world. 

David Cameron learns about the company’s global aspirations 

Scotland’s best 

goes global 

Inverurie 

WHEN GENERAL Air Vice Marshall Graham 

Stacey next sits down for dinner to entertain 

his distinguished guests, he is likely to 

be looking forward to a succulent steak, 

perfectly cooked to his own particular liking 

of rare, very rare. 

Now, when you learn that the steak 

General Stacey will consume with such 

relish comes from the rolling fields of 

Aberdeenshire, few readers who know their 

meat will be overly surprised. However, what 

may raise an eyebrow or two is the fact that 

the room he is entertaining in is 2300 miles 

away on the island of Cyprus. 

General Stacey is commander of the British 

forces based at Episkopi overseeing access for 

British military operations in the Middle East. 

And among the businesses providing 

essential supplies to the base and its troops is 

Les Nicholas, who imports a variety of Scotch 

Premier products from Inverurie to his shop 

at Limassol. He said: “The base is a good 

customer of mine and I know the general 

likes his steak very rare.” 

While interesting in itself, flying Scotch 

Premier products out to Cyprus is now 

just one element of the global reach of its 

products. Discerning diners are also enjoying 

meat from the company in Holland, Sweden, 

Italy and Hong Kong. 

The intention now is that, as the UK meat 

industry continues its climb away from the 

BSE crisis of 1996 which closed so many doors 

to exports of British products, ANM’s Meat 

Division and its three companies – Scotch 

Premier, Yorkshire Premier and Charcuterie 

– will see opportunities to develop new 

customers and reach new audiences 

with their quality products. 

Building on the success being 

enjoyed at present is not going to 

be done overnight. There are many 

challenges that have to be faced in making 

sure that the right people, with the right 

knowledge, experience and contacts 

are on the ground working on behalf of 

the company. 

And while group chief executive Alan 

Craig says that the company is prepared to 

invest in the development of the overseas 

market, it won’t be at the expense of the 

buyer in Motherwell who is prepared to 

pay more than the guy in Madrid! 

“There are 60 million people in the 

UK; there’s another 500 million 

out there in mainland Europe. 

That’s a significant market place, 

roughly the size of the United 

States. So this is a market that 

we must continue to build into 

and expand upon. 

“So, I am certainly 

encouraging our people to grasp 

the export market and, initially, 

the European market in particular. 

It’s a market that we have reach 

into and reach into tomorrow.” 

The way the market is set up in 

Europe at present is different from that in 

the UK. British companies can literally find 

themselves supplying some of the largest 

supermarket businesses on the planet, 

within days of arriving with their products 

based on price. The European market can be 

18 

JOURNAL

insight 

Sweden 

Netherlands 

Italy 

Cyprus 

To Hong Kong 

JOURNAL 19

insight 

extremely price oriented and it’s much more 

open than it is in the UK. 

“The UK ‘big-five’ supply base remains 

pretty tight and it operates on a different 

supply logistic and demographic from 

mainland Europe. 

“What you do need, however, is expertise 

on the ground from a language, price, 

quality and service perspective. You have to 

be absolutely on your game and it takes a 

lot of time, effort and commitment. But it 

is an area where ANM Group is prepared to 

invest,” explained Alan Craig. 

The big question is: what is going to give 

Scotch Premier and its sister companies 

an edge when it comes to competing on 

the European market where, post- 

BSE, many European supplier 

relationships are now 

very established? The 

answer, according 

to the new general 

manager of Scotch 

Premier, Malcohm 

Hetherington, 

is “quality and 

price”. 

Malcohm, who 

has vast experience 

in the industry, has 

only been in the job 

with ANM Group’s 

Meat Division for a matter 

of a few months but his “glass 

half full” approach and his natural 

enthusiasm for the sector is infectious. And 

he is very excited about what the company 

can achieve with the exceptional product it 

has on its doorstep. 

“Quality is the way forward for us because 

there are not that many people who can 

deliver the quality of meat that we can. This 

gives us a clear edge on the competition. 

“It’s all about what you get on your plate. 

It’s about the eating experience and the 

consistency that you get. There’s no point in 

having a fantastic steak one week and then 

coming back a fortnight later and it’s poor. 

What we are aiming to do is to make sure 

we are giving our customers what they want 

every time, not giving them what we want 

to give them. There’s a huge difference in 

attitude in that.” 

Malcohm argues that it is impossible to 

exaggerate the importance of the way in 

which the animal is bred and looked after for 

every minute of its life. He is adamant that, 

if the animal is stressed in any way, it always 

has a massive impact on the quality of the 

meat that is produced. 

“The wonderful thing about ANM Group’s 

farmers is that they totally understand 

that. It is at the very core of their business 

thinking. Here they breed for meat, it’s not 

a by-product and that, coupled with the 

farming conditions that we have here in the 

north east, is what makes our offering so 

totally unique,” he said. 

Scotch Premier’s sales manager, Brian 

Noble, is the man charged with 

developing new business for the 

company and the overseas 

market is very much on 

his agenda. At present, 

he is preparing for 

Europe’s biggest 

food exhibition 

that takes place 

every two years. 

This year’s 

ANUGA event is 

in Germany and 

it will be a prime 

opportunity not 

only to showcase the 

company’s produce but 

also to show how the Group is 

now working together to maximise 

its service delivery to customers. 

“The Seychelles might be my first port of 

call on an export drive,” he joked, “but that’s 

not likely! Seriously though, there are huge 

opportunities out there for us. We just have 

to go and find them. 

“We have to be looking at the places, as 

we have proved in Italy, where people are 

wanting to buy a quality product. And there 

are plenty of cities around the world where 

we are going to find people who want a top 

quality piece of meat from this area. 

“I think with the new, very focused 

approach that we are now taking towards 

the way in which we are running our 

business, we are in a very good position to 

take advantage of the opportunities that 

come our way,” he said. 

Italy 

For Matteo Di Poli, it’s easy to sell 

Scotch Premier lamb in Italy…because 

he loves the taste! 

Matteo runs the meat importer 

Comint SNC, based near Padova in 

the north of Italy, and has been selling 

Scotch Premier lamb and beef for the 

past four years. 

“When I first tasted the Scotch 

Premier lamb I thought it was wonderful 

– such great flavour and texture – and 

much better than our Italian lamb. Now 

everyone knows about it because I am 

passionate about it!” 

His company sells to hundreds of 

butchers and restaurants in the Friuli- 

Venezia Giulia area, which is renowned 

for its famous wines such as Valpolicella, 

Bardolino, Soave and Prosecco. 

Although people in Italy love beef, 

Matteo believes that many don’t yet 

fully appreciate the high quality of 

Scottish beef. 

“Scotch Premier beef is like a 

really good filter coffee – it’s a 

high-quality product but not everyone 

can appreciate the taste. It’s my 

passion to educate them!” he said. 

Charcuterie has also just sold its first 

consignment of ham to … Parma. 

The Italian home of, some would 

argue, the very best ham in the world, 

has nevertheless ordered Charcuterie 

ham for the tourists who flock to 

Northern Italy, and who hanker for a 

taste of home while they are there. 

“THERE ARE PLENTY OF CITIES AROUND THE 

WORLD WHERE WE ARE GOING TO FIND 

PEOPLE WHO WANT A TOP QUALITY PIECE 

OF MEAT FROM THIS AREA.” 

BRIAN NOBLE, SCOTCH PREMIER MEAT SALES MANAGER 

20

insight 

Netherlands Sweden Cyprus 

In Amsterdam, Dirk Huisman knows 

his beef. He has to as his company 

supplies the city’s Michelin-starred hotels 

every week. 

He regularly chats with Holland’s top 

chefs and all are agreed that meat from 

Scotch Premier is at the top of their 

priority list. 

“We only supply the top restaurants 

in the country, many of which have one 

to three Michelin stars, so the quality of 

the meat has to be extremely high – and 

that’s why I buy from Scotch Premier,” 

explained Dirk, who has been importing 

products from the company for the past 

five years. 

“I take around 10 hinds of beef every 

week and age it a further 10 days – this 

is what my customers want: 100 per 

cent dry-aged Scottish beef.” 

Dirk said Scotch Premier lamb is also 

popular and in the autumn and winter 

there is a big demand for venison – and 

only Balmoral venison will do! 

Gordon Ramsay has a huge following 

in Sweden. And now, thanks to the 

F-word chef and the other global 

celebrity cooks, the reputation of Scotch 

Premier’s meat is growing in the land 

that brought us Abba, Volvo and IKEA. 

Nick Bergstrom, of Stene Kött & 

Livs in Strömstad, says his customers 

are being educated by the plethora 

of foodie programmes that are being 

lapped up in Sweden. 

“They’ve shown people the variety of 

things they can do in their own kitchens 

and how to use the different cuts of 

meat. And Scotch Premier has added 

a touch of quality and sophistication to 

what we can supply them. 

“I’ve been here seven years and when 

I first started the beef we 

used wasn’t very good,” 

he said. “We couldn’t 

sell that meat today 

as people just 

wouldn’t buy it, 

even though it’s 

cheaper. People 

are willing to pay a 

little more for better 

quality and that’s 

why Scotch Premier is 

perfect.” 

One thing’s for certain, the armed 

forces – including the Red Arrows – are 

certainly well fed in Cyprus, thanks to 

Scotch Premier’s meat. 

Les Nicholas, who owns TCP 

Seafood, Meat and Game Shop in 

Episkopi, Limassol, has been a Scotch 

Premier customer for about five years. 

He counts the Episkopi Garrison and 

the RAF base at Akrotiri among his best 

customers. 

“I’m an open-front shop where 

a customer can come in off the 

street, but we also deliver to homes, 

restaurants and hotels. 

“We offer fillet, rib eye, sirloin, 

topside – the whole beast! We also 

have Highland lamb; the chop, the leg, 

you name it.” 

And the holidaymakers on Cyprus 

are also introduced to Scotch Premier 

products as many of their chefs 

are big fans of the meat 

from Inverurie. 

Hong Kong 

Since it opened its doors to UK beef again 

three years ago, Hong Kong loves having 

Scotch Premier meat back on the menu. 

Peter Fransson, of Saison Food Service 

Limited in the Chinese territory, explained: 

“Hong Kong may be a far smaller market 

than, say, London, but there is a very 

large concentration of high-end hotels 

and free-standing restaurants, as well as 

supermarkets, here,” he said. “We sell to 

all of these.” 

Peter said that the quality of the meat is 

so good that his business, and consequently 

Scotch Premier, even featured recently on 

local TV. 

“We supply a very reputable freestanding 

restaurant called Shore,” he 

explained. “They featured on a TV show 

that was interested in where they sourced 

their fine cuts of meat. They only buy highend 

meat and are very much into natural 

product, and that’s why Scotch Premier fits 

in with their concept.” 

JOURNAL 21

the big sale 

Commercial 

success 

TSA handled the Les Taylor sale with dignity 

and professionalism. Graeme Smith reports 

ON A sunny spring day earlier this year, the 

Thainstone Centre at Inverurie staged an 

event the likes of which it had never seen 

before. 

An army of bulldozers, road rollers, 

diggers, dumper trucks, crushers, vans and 

cars virtually filled the site for what was 

to be the biggest stand alone commercial 

sale ever staged by Thainstone Specialist 

Auctions (TSA). 

On offer was the plant and equipment of 

the Les Taylor Group, once one of Buchan’s 

biggest employers, which sadly went into 

receivership with the loss of almost 200 jobs. 

JOURNAL 

23

the big sale 

It was a day of palpable emotion, not just 

for those amongst the crowd who had once 

worked for Les Taylor, but also for senior 

auctioneer and valuer, Mark Barrack. 

The sale of the 500 lots, including almost 

150 commercial vehicles, and 40 excavators, 

marked the culmination of three months of 

intensive work that had started with the loss 

of the jobs of many of his school friends. 

However, as Grant Rogerson, general 

manager of TSA, pointed out: “There are 

emotions and sensitivities in almost every 

sale.” Sometimes, he explained, the emotion 

is joy as a customer sees his plant and 

equipment raise the money that will fund 

a fulfilled retirement, sometimes there is 

sadness when the sale follows a bereavement 

and on occasions there can be anger when 

livelihoods are jeopardised by the collapse of 

a business. 

However, although the goods on offer and 

the scale of auctions and displenish sales vary 

considerably, TSA applies the same principles 

to each. 

“We aim to be professional, focused, 

flexible and efficient,” said Grant. “For 

example our business development manager, 

Les Reid, who lives in Dundee, has 

just returned from Stornoway and 

Mark is just back from doing a 

job in Caithness out of hours. 

“A client wanted a 

valuation for his asset 

register and the most 

efficient way we could do 

it was when all the kit was 

in his yard. We agreed to do 

it in an evening otherwise 

we would have had to drive 

round a number of sites and it 

would have taken considerably 

longer and cost significantly more. 

“The Les Taylor sale was not by any 

means the largest we have done in terms of 

the number of lots because we have done 

three-day sales in the past. Financially, it was 

a sale significantly larger than anything held 

previously and the quality was exceptional. It 

was a real credit to the company.” 

He explained that TSA was called in 

immediately the company went into 

receivership on Friday January 7 and then 

began an operation of enormous scale. 

They had to overcome the administrative 

and logistical hurdles of gathering in all the 

company’s vehicles and plant from across the 

North-east and 

beyond. Until 

that was complete, 

security had to be 

arranged at various sites and the 

details of every vehicle had to be logged for a 

comprehensive inventory ahead of valuation. 

Insolvency practitioners often require 

valuations as part of a sales pack to dispose 

of companies as going concerns although, 

unfortunately, in the Les Taylor case, this was 

not possible. 

On sale day, people travelled from as far as 

the Middle East to bid. There were webcast 

bidders from all over the world and such 

was the quality that many lots exceeded 

the anticipated value and some of the 

“WHEN THE SALE STARTED, AS ALWAYS YOU 

GET ‘INTO THE ZONE’. NERVES ARE NO GOOD 

SO YOU MUST FOCUS AND KNOW EXACTLY 

WHAT YOU ARE DOING” 

MARK BARRACK, SENIOR AUCTIONEER AND VALUER 

24 

CONDUCTING 

AFFAIRS: 

Mark Barrack, above, 

takes bids on sale day 

as bidders, top right, 

compete to snap up 

the best deals 

equipment has even 

ended up in Japan on 

post-earthquake work. 

“I learned through 

all our vehicle, plant 

and machinery and 

displenish sales of the 

emotions people experience,” said Mark. 

“You are dealing with clients who have 

invested a lot of time and emotion into 

the business. Some are sad and some are 

absolutely delighted. You use the experience 

you have gained watching how people 

have coped in the past to help them and 

sometimes you are almost like a counsellor, 

social worker or just a friendly ear. 

“I found the Les Taylor sale very emotional. 

The day the company went into receivership 

we were called to the offices in Mintlaw to 

await the appointment. I come from Buchan 

so everyone knew who I was and why I was 

there. I went to school with half the guys 

who work there and live in the same village 

as many of them and I found that hard. 

“However, when the sale itself started, 

as always you ‘get into the zone.’ Nerves 

JOURNAL

the big sale 

CASE STUDY 

Jack Taylor turned 

to TSA when the 

time came to retire 

The Fraserburgh engineer – no 

relation to Les Taylor - had enjoyed 

a long and successful time in business 

but, with no-one to succeed him, 

he decided to sell up and use the 

proceeds to part fund his future. 

TSA’s specialists advised him 

that an auction would be the best 

way of maximising his return from 

the equipment he had for sale. 

Everything from wire brushes to 

drills, vans and even a cement mixer 

sold on the day. 

Jack explained: “I’ve nothing but 

good things to say about TSA. I’d 

heard of TSA locally and the things 

I heard were all good. I can honestly 

say I wouldn’t have been able to sell 

my equipment without them. 

“I had to sell vehicles such as a 

forklift truck, furniture and tools such 

as lathes, drills, welders and clamps. 

Everything went – mostly to local 

companies. If I had to use one word 

to sum TSA’s service up it would be 

‘excellent’.” 

are no good so you must focus and know 

exactly what you are doing. We are a bit like 

adrenalin junkies and want to get the best 

out of everything for everyone.” 

Every day the highly 

experienced and qualified 

TSA team is out and about 

across the UK providing 

valuation and appraisal 

services. They work from the 

Thainstone headquarters and 

in the Central Belt for a wide 

range of clients including 

private individuals, major 

companies, banks, asset 

finance firms and insolvency 

practitioners. 

In addition, TSA holds 

twice weekly vehicle sales 

at Thainstone along with 

eight major Saturday sales 

annually offering a large 

selection of commercial plant 

and equipment, agricultural 

machinery, builders’ plant, engineering 

equipment, light and heavy commercial 

FACT 

Big Deal 

Senior Auctioneer 

Mark Barrack once sold 

two huge vehicles he 

estimates were 10 times 

the size of an articulated 

lorry and each had 150 

wheels that were used 

for moving the topsides 

of oilrigs. An Iranian 

and a Pakistani were 

competing to buy them 

and he auctioned them 

through interpreters. 

vehicles, horticultural plant and hand tools. 

The regular police lost property sales also 

attract big crowds, as do the collectable 

and limited edition whisky and 

Border Fine Art sales that are 

held occasionally. 

The car sales feature 

everything from luxury 

vehicles like Porsches and 

Range Rovers costing tens of 

thousands to older cars being 

sold for spares. TSA is used 

by local authorities and a 

number of finance companies 

as well as individuals and 

Grant pointed out: “Every 

auction is different because 

customers are allowed to 

enter vehicles up until 5.30pm 

on the day of sale and we sell 

almost 4000 cars a year.” 

As well as a wealth of 

experience, the team has a vast 

amount of data to help them in 

their valuations, whether it is an oilrig, office 

furniture or even a collection of Star Wars 

memorabilia (which the owner eventually 

decided he couldn’t part with). 

Grant explained: “We did an ice factory last 

year, a clean water system for the offshore 

industry which was still in the development 

stage and also two refrigerated cargo vessels 

in Lithuania which were marketed across 

Europe and were sold by private treaty. 

“While the Les Taylor sale was taking place 

on the ground, it was also being broadcast 

live on the web. We have our own system 

for real time bidding and the price the 

auctioneer is selling an item at is relayed to 

a computer operator who in turn relays it to 

interested parties. They have a description 

and normally a photograph and when they 

want to bid they click. 

“Our integrity is absolutely vital to us. We 

have a great database of customers who have 

dealt with us for many years and trust us. That 

is invaluable. We know that if we describe 

something incorrectly, our integrity would be 

questioned. So we always strive to get it right. 

“We have no agenda other than to do 

the very best possible for our clients – both 

buyers and sellers.” 

JOURNAL 25

members 

Labour 

of love 

For the Websters of Kildrummy, farming without 

a Single Farm Payment has been an uphill battle. 

Bob Dow discovers how they’ve made it work 

IT IS, quite simply, a view to die for. Lush, 

grass covered hills rolling into the distant 

glens while the cold, blue-grey waters of the 

River Don wind their weary way below. 

This picture-postcard scene is the 

archetypal vista that draws tourists up 

Strathdon on the A97 road as they make their 

way towards the Cairngorms National Park. 

But it is also the cornerstone of another 

vital Scottish industry: livestock farming. This 

land is more than just a view. It is the very 

bedrock that the secret of producing top 

quality meat is built upon. 

Charles and Alison Webster are a small, 

but vital, part of that process. For the 

last 21-years they have farmed 380-acres 

at Ardhuncart, Kildrummy, one of those 

beautiful hidden nuggets that Aberdeenshire 

always seems to have. 

For them, this is not just a business. It is 

a way of life, something that demands total 

devotion and a single-minded determination 

to produce livestock of the highest standard. 

Their success in achieving this is all the 

more remarkable given that they do it 

without Single Farm Payment, the financial 

aid that normally underpins farmers in the 

European Union. 

Charles, 46, rents his farm from the 

Ardhuncart Trust Estate. He had also been in 

a business partnership with his parents, who 

farmed at nearby Rhynie. Six years ago, he 

came out of the partnership but the Single 

Farm Payment stayed with his parents. 

That move has been expensive, potentially 

IT BEEN VERY HARD FOR 

US BUT THE FAULT LIES 

WITH THE SINGLE FARM 

PAYMENT SYSTEM 

CHARLES WEBSTER 

costing the couple around £40,000 a year in 

lost subsidy and is money that would make a 

huge difference to them, but they get by. 

Charles admits: “It has been very hard for 

us but the fault lies with the Single Farm 

Payment system because there is provision 

in it for amalgamating businesses but there 

is no provision for a business being split, 

especially after the entitlements had been 

consolidated, which is wrong.” 

He added: “For us six years ago it was just 

like starting all over again. We had to look 

forward and not look back and just say ‘well 

this is what we want to do’ and then get on 

with it to the best of our abilities.” 

Sheer hard work and determination 

sees them through, along with teamwork 

through the help of their three daughters: 

Kimberley, 19, a student nurse; Mhairi aged 

15 and 10-year-old Angela. 

The couple have 85 cows, mainly Simmental 

cross, plus 30 heifers retained for the following 

season along with 35 yearling heifers. They also 

have 160 ewes, mostly Mules. 

Lambs, mostly prime, are sold through the 

Aberdeen & Northern Marts auction centre at 

FAMILY AFFAIR: Thainstone or killed at 

Charles and Alison ANM’s Scotch Premier 

Webster with 

Meat at Inverurie. 

daughters Kimberley, 

Replacement gimmers 

Mhairi and Angela 

are also sourced at 

Thainstone. 

Heifers are mainly retained for breeding 

while steers are sold at Thainstone between 

10-12-months old. 

There is no magic formula for success. 

Charles and Alison work hard on being as 

efficient as possible. Two years ago they also 

joined Orkney Hi-Health scheme for all their 

26 

JOURNAL

identifier 

cattle to ensure they were blood tested and 

vaccinated for potential problems such as 

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD). It is an extra 

expense but it has also brought welcome 

extra returns. 

Alison, 48, explained: “There is no doubt 

there are more farmers going down the Hi- 

Health route now because they can see the 

benefits. With the Government’s national 

BVD eradication programme now under way, 

people are starting to pay more notice and 

that has helped the prices we get. 

“The vaccinations are expensive but when 

you start to see the benefits then it is not as 

expensive as you think.” 

Charles added: “There is always opposition 

to change but I could immediately see the 

benefits to our cattle because we had no 

problems with things like scour or pneumonia 

when we were calving, in fact I had the 

tightest calving I have ever had this year. 

“Thanks to the Hi-Health scheme and 

other measures we take, our calves have a 

better glow to them, they are brighter eyed 

and they have shinier skins. 

“At the end of the day because we have no 

THERE ARE MORE 

FARMERS GOING 

DOWN THE HI-HEALTH 

ROUTE BECAUSE THEY 

SEE THE BENEFITS 

ALISON WEBSTER 

single farm payments we have to try to make 

this as efficient as possible to get the best 

results from our beasts because we can’t rely 

on any subsidies.” 

Ardhuncart is a perfect setting for raising 

cattle, being south facing and up to the sun 

with the land rising from 550ft to 1200ft 

above sea level. Their livestock are fed a mix 

of barley, silage and straw for fibre along with 

the delicious sweet grass that blooms in such 

a fresh, natural environment. 

The hard work is paying off. All their cattle 

sold this year were home-bred. A major 

commercial breeding cattle show and sale at 

Thainstone in May saw them take a special 

prize for the best average price for three 

Simmental sired heifers with calves. Last 

year, at the same sale they had the champion 

Simmental cross heifer. 

But the biggest reward for them has been 

reputation. Buyers are coming back again 

and again because they know the proven 

quality of the livestock. 

Charles pointed out: “Getting these repeat 

buyers is actually the best advert you can get 

and the most satisfying feeling for a farmer 

to have.” 

However, that lack of any subsidy is always 

hovering there in the background, ensuring 

there is no let up in the drive to make the 

best of what they have got. 

Alison admitted: “We have a good 

relationship with our bank, the Clydesdale, 

who understand farming and that is crucial. 

It may be hard but if the Single Farm 

Payment system suddenly disappeared 

overnight then we would be in a far stronger 

position than a lot of folk because we are not 

dependent on it.” 

Despite the hurdles, there is no doubting 

the family’s attachment to the land and what 

they do, as Charles explained: “They always 

say ‘stick to something you half know rather 

than something you know nothing about’. 

We kind of half know what we are doing so I 

think we will stick to that!” 

One long look across to his cattle quietly 

grazing in the fields below helped him 

sum it all up: “When you go out in the 

morning and there is a new born calf 

standing suckling its mother then that is 

best reward you can get.” 

JOURNAL 27

wind power 

Helping farmers turn a profit from wind power has 

become a specialist subject for the team at Aberdeen 

and Northern Estates. Tim Power meets a man who has 

harnessed their knowledge to build his own windfarm 

Power play 

WHILE ALBERT is the 14th generation of 

Howie to farm in Aberdeenshire, his focus 

is very much on the future. That’s why he’s 

just invested in three wind turbines that will 

provide an excellent stream of revenue from 

renewable energy into the years ahead. 

The Buchan farmer, along with his son 

George, manages 1,100 acres of arable land 

at his farm in West Knock, Stuartfield, just 

ten miles from Peterhead, where he’s well 

known for his herd of 80 red and black 

pedigree Limousin cattle and flock of Texel 

sheep. However, like many other landowners 

in the area, Albert became interested in the 

potential of diversifying his business into 

renewable energy. 

“Over the last few years there’s been a lot 

of talk about wind turbines in the farming 

JOURNAL 29

wind power 

community as a good way of getting 

additional revenue, so I decided to look 

into it. 

“It does have good business potential but 

when you’re setting out on that journey, 

there’s a lot to consider. You have to look 

closely at everything from the technical 

characteristics of your proposed site, such 

as average wind speeds, to the financing 

arrangements. Then, of course, there is 

the planning process which can be very 

complex,” he said. 

The farmer’s view that the process can 

be a protracted one proved absolutely 

correct in his own case. Albert’s plans for 

three wind turbines with the capacity to 

generate enough electricity to power up to 

4,000 homes, eventually took three years to 

accomplish. 

He finally obtained planning permission 

in February 2010 after a review of 

the project by the council’s planning 

department into the turbine’s affect on 

noise, shadow and “visual intrusion”. He 

also had to overcome the National Air 

Traffic Service’s fears that the 80-metre high 

turbines could pose a risk to air traffic in 

the area. 

Once planning had been approved, he 

hired a local contractor who will prepare 

and install the turbines and set about 

raising finance. That’s where ANM Group 

and the company’s Aberdeen & Northern 

Estates specialists entered the play. 

Albert said: “I’ve done business with 

ANM Group before through selling cattle 

and sheep and have found the cooperative 

to be a very efficient and well-run 

operation. 

“I have to say I was really impressed with 

the service when Ian MacLennan of A&N 

Estates came out to value a 100-acre area 

of my land for a loan to finance part of the 

turbine project. 

“Within days, the Estates’ people had 

come back to me with a 15-year financing 

offer from AMC which was a good offer. 

I like A&N Estates hands-on approach. 

There’s no doubt in my mind that it gives 

you a lot of reassurance that you are dealing 

with people you can trust.” 

Today, work is already underway at West 

Knock farm where an access road is being 

constructed prior to the erection of the three 

800KW turbines in August. It’s an exciting 

time for the farmer and his business. 

A&N Estates has seen its wind turbinerelated 

valuation work treble in the past 

year as the interest in renewable energy 

has escalated following the launch of the 

Government’s Feed in Tariff subsidy. 

James Petty from the Estates valuation 

team explained: “Since the introduction 

of the Feed in Tariff (FIT) there’s been 

a bit of a gold rush for wind turbines 

projects. Before FIT there was little financial 

incentive to install small-scale wind 

turbines, but this lucrative subsidy has 

definitely changed the market.” 

While Albert Howie chose to finance his 

wind project himself, many landowners 

have entered into agreements with energy 

STARTING GRID: 

Albert Howie on 

the site where he 

plans three turbines 

30 

JOURNAL

wind power 

developers to rent or lease their land 

to site wind turbines. However, these 

contracts can be quite complicated and 

not always as favourable as they can be 

for the landowner. As James explained: 

“Energy developers can offer a wide 

range of different tie-in arrangements, 

payments and contract durations. Some 

contracts we have assessed have been quite 

unreasonable, so an independent scrutiny is 

essential before people sign anything.” 

The Estates’ valuation team has 

wide experience in assessing the land 

management aspects of a contract. 

James said: “We have been looking 

at the impact of utilities and road 

developments on farm land for decades, so 

the development aspects of wind turbines 

is a natural extension of this. The erection 

of a wind turbine may only require an acre 

of land, but there are still a lot of access 

issues for construction and work needed to 

connect the turbine’s output to the grid. 

This could involve disrupting farming for a 

time so there are many things to consider 

when entering into a contract of this sort. 

“We can give people best practice advice 

on the impact to the farm, on its revenue 

generation and on its overall value. It’s our 

role to be on the farmer’s side of the fence 

and assess the agreement from the point of 

value to our client,” added James. 

While A&N Estates’ core areas are the 

North-east and Caithness and Sutherland, 

its expertise is in increasing demand 

across Scotland and the days of simply 

selling rural property have long gone. They 

constantly adapt to meet the changing 

demands of clients and, for example, are 

also skilled at negotiating with utility and 

energy companies for wayleave payments 

and compensation claims for cables and 

pipelines that traverse farmland. 

In the late 80s and 90s there were an 

enormous number of mobile phone masts 

erected and they helped farmers with 

challenges like agreeing leases on new sites 

and rent reviews. 

There are now few new masts as 

operators, including O2 and Vodafone, 

carry out amalgamations but the surveyors’ 

advice can be invaluable in helping 

farmers secure the proper deal when these 

amalgamations take place. 

“WITH ABERDEEN AND NORTHERN ESTATES, 

THERE’S A LOT OF REASSURANCE THAT YOU 

ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST.” 

ALBERT HOWIE, FARMER 

UNCOVERED 

How the feed 

tariff works 

The Feed in Tariff is a Government 

incentive designed to reduce 

carbon footprint and energy bills, 

help people become more selfsufficient 

in energy, and earn some 

extra income! 

The Generation Tariff: 

You earn a fixed income for every 

kilowatt hour of electricity you 

generate and use in your property. 

The Export Tariff: 

You earn an additional fixed 

income for every kilowatt hour of 

electricity you generate and sell 

back to the grid. 

Discounts from your 

electricity supplier: 

When you can’t generate enough 

electricity for your needs (if the 

wind don’t blow and the sun don’t 

shine) you still buy electricity 

from your utility company at the 

normal rates but it’ll be much less 

electricity than you currently buy. 

James Petty 

ANM ESTATES 

James Petty has more 

than a feel for the 

land, he has a 

deep-rooted 

understanding and knowledge of it based 

on years of experience and learning. 

He started out studying agriculture and 

graduated from Aberdeen University, 

close to his hometown of Stonehaven. 

Then, as his career developed, he 

studied through the College of Estate 

Management to become a chartered 

surveyor, a job he now loves with 

A&N Estates. 

JOURNAL 31

estates 

To get the best price for your property, A&N Estates’ 

specialists know how to drive a hard bargain. 

Graeme Smith examines today’s market 

Negotiate, 

Negotiate 

THERE ARE few greater milestones in life 

than selling a house. However, selling a farm 

has to be one of them. 

When the bids are opened there is inevitably 

tremendous emotion because it’s not just 

buildings, land and equipment that are being 

sold but a lifestyle and a piece of history. 

On average, Aberdeen & Northern Estates 

sells a farm once a fortnight and in Scotland 

today there are few as well qualified to give 

advice on the best way to go about it. 

So, for those who may be thinking about 

selling, what does the landscape look like out 

there at the moment and how do you get 

the best price for that much-loved 

property? 

According to Ian 

MacLennan, a director and 

operations manager with 

A&N Estates, the prospects 

of fetching good prices today 

are good. And with 22 years 

experience with the company, 

and having witnessed huge 

changes in the market over 

that time, he should know. 

“In my early days, most 

people sold farms as a whole 

with buildings, land and the farmhouse all 

included at a price per acre which at that 

time was £1,000. 

“The price at this moment in time can be 

well in excess of £4,000 per acre for good 

quality bare land which doesn’t include the 

farmhouse or buildings.” 

Today, he explained, the trend in how 

properties are sold has changed and it has 

become much more popular to divide the 

farm into lots for selling. 

FACT 

Up & away 

20 years ago an acre 

of land, including 

farmhouse and property 

was £1000 – it can now 

be more than £4000 

without a property 

“The farmer will perhaps sell the steading 

for conversion, the land to a neighbour who 

is keen to expand to spread his fixed costs, 

a developer may come in if there are good 

outbuildings and the farmhouse may be 

bought by someone who simply wants to 

stay in the country. 

“Good quality farmhouses which were 

once considered remote now have far 

more appeal because of factors like better 

communications through home internet and 

transport links. 

“They attract people like professionals in the 

oil industry who want to live in a big house in 

a remote location which would have 

been unheard of 30 years ago.” 

Ian explained that in spite 

of the well-documented 

downturn in the residential 

market, farms are selling 

extremely well. An imbalance 

in demand and supply and the 

current economies of farming 

has combined to raise prices. 

The price of produce 

has never been higher and 

neighbouring farmers are keen to 

buy the land, if not the farmhouse, 

to make their operations more sustainable. 

“Buying a farm has been seen as a hedge 

against inflation over a long time period 

because the value, apart from a couple of 

glitches in the late 80s, has always held up 

well,” said Ian. 

“Low interest rates now make it ideal for 

borrowing but there are also purchasers with 

considerable capital, perhaps from selling off 

land for development. 

“They can get significant tax breaks by 

FOR SALE: 

A&N Estates’ James 

Petty posts another 

property on the market 

32 

JOURNAL

GOOD QUALITY 

FARMHOUSES WHICH 

WERE ONCE CONSIDERED 

REMOTE NOW HAVE FAR 

MORE APPEAL BECAUSE 

OF FACTORS LIKE BETTER 

COMMUNICATIONS 

THROUGH HOME 

INTERNET AND 

TRANSPORT LINKS 

JOURNAL 33

estates 

reinvesting it in agricultural land which is far 

more attractive than depositing it in the bank.” 

So, when that decision has been taken 

to sell, how do A&N Estates go about 

supporting the seller? 

The team of four chartered surveyors have 

almost a century of experience behind them 

and in addition, because of the volume of 

business they attract, they have an extensive 

database that is a major asset in valuation 

and selling. 

When carrying out a valuation, whether 

for tax purposes, following a bereavement or 

ahead of a sale, they can refer to their unrivalled 

database to help ascertain accurate figures. 

Every person who contacts the company 

is also added to the database. That then 

provides a list of potential buyers for 

properties about to be sold. 

Another key advantage is that ANM Group 

– of which A&N Estates is a part – is a 

“one-stop-shop” for sellers with Estates 

dealing with the property, Thainstone 

Specialist Auctions looking after the 

moveable items and Aberdeen & Northern 

Marts handling the disposal of any livestock. 

Whether it be a historic Scottish estate 

like Straloch with its own private chapel, 

an established business such as a fishery, or 

even a but‘n’ben, Ian MacLennan and his 

team have the experience required to ensure 

UNCOVERED 

Need to know! 

Ten steps to make the sale process 

smooth and successful as possible 

1 Telephone or drop in on the experts 

2 Have a confidential chat 

without commitment 

3 A surveyor will walk the 

property and land 

4 A selling strategy will be suggested 

5 Marketing and advertising 

recommendations will be made 

6 The company will use its extensive 

database, marketing and advertising to 

generate interest 

7 No large upfront marketing charges 

8 Go to closing date 

9 Conclude sale 

] 10 Settle accounts 

everything goes smoothly. 

One of the first things the surveyors 

from A&N Estates will do when discussing a 

potential sale with a client is give guidance 

on the most advantageous method of sale – 

whether lotting or selling as a whole. 

“One important thing is that however 

it is being sold we market the farm, not 

ourselves,” said Grant Rogerson, the 

company’s general manager. “We give 

independent advice, have no agendas and we 

are there for buyers and sellers. We charge 

a commission for what we do so it is in our 

interests to get best value,” he added. 

Another member of the Estates team 

is James Petty. In his experience, there 

are many reasons why people in rural 

communities make the decision to use the 

company to sell their properties. 

“In former days, farms passed from father 

to son but today Aberdeen is particularly 

prosperous and many of the sons have 

moved into the oil industry so there may be 

no-one to take over if they want to retire. 

There are also those who have no family to 

succeed them. 

“Some smaller farms may be slightly 

less sustainable and the family can’t take 

it over because it is not going to give them 

the income. There are also a few who have 

bought farms in recent years but have found 

the harsh winters too demanding.” 

Whatever the reason for selling a home, it 

is often said that the process can be one of 

life’s most traumatic experiences. However, 

using the knowledge and experience of the 

team at A&N Estates can take some of that 

pain out of the equation. 

PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT 

New Craig Farm, 

Oldmeldrum, 

Aberdeenshire, 

AB51 0EH 

Excellent arable farm 

in sought after location 

with first class range of 

modern farmbuildings 

for arable and livestock 

enterprise. 

A rare opportunity has 

arisen to purchase a 400 acre 

farm with traditional granite 

built 4-bedroom farmhouse 

together with excellent range 

of farmbuildings with the 

modern buildings extending 

to approximately 15,500 sq.ft 

together with a further range 

of traditional stone and slate 

buildings. The land extends to 

just over 400 acres and the 

majority of the land is classified 

as grade 3(1) by the Macaulay 

Institute for Soil Research and 

should be capable of better 

than average production. 

The remainder of the land is 

graded 3(2). 

New Craig Farm is 

situated in the renowned 

farming area just three 

miles west of Oldmeldrum 

and approximately twentytwo 

miles north west of 

Aberdeen. The farm enjoys 

a scenic rural setting yet lies 

in close proximity to nearby 

settlements and services. The 

present owner adopts a four 

year crop rotation that involves 

leaving a proportion of the 

land fallow each year as a 

result the land is in extremely 

good heart and the fallow area 

allows early entry for following 

season’s winter OSR which 

normally produces bumper 

yields. 

The farm is for sale as 

a whole at Offers Over 

£1,800,000. 

34 

JOURNAL

FOR SALE 

NEWBIGGING 

FARM, 

INSCH 

AB52 6NN 

625 acre arable farm with modern 

grain store, farmhouse and 

2 house sites. 

568 acres arable 

55 acres pasture 

Mainly south facing 

4-bedroom farmhouse 

15,500sq.ft modern 

grain store 

For sale as a whole 

or in 4 lots. 

Asking Prices 

Lot 1: Newbigging 

Farm – Offers over 

£1,600,000 

Lot 2: Land at New 

Leslie – Offers over 

£300,000 

Lot 3: Field No.10 – 

Offers over £100,000 

Lot 4: House Site - 

Old Leslie – Offers 

over £60,000 

As a whole: Offers 

over £2,060,000 

Interested? Get in touch... 

Telephone 01467623800 or log on to 

www.anmgroup.co.uk/estates 

FOR SALE 

BRAESIDE 

FARM, 

FORDYCE, 

BANFF, 

AB45 2XP 

Well maintained small arable farm 

with outstanding views over the 

Moray Firth coast. 

Lot 1: Farmhouse: 

Traditional 3-Bedroom 

house with large kitchen. 

Farmbuildings: 

General purpose shed 

and traditional range 

Land:18Ha (44.5 

acres) class 3(2) arable 

Lot 2: Muttonbrae 

– Former farmhouse 

converted to agricultural 

store with adjoining 

range set in lands 

extending to 1Ha 

(2.5 acres) or thereby. 

About 19HA (47 

acres) in all for sale as 

a whole or in two lots 

with vacant possession. 

Asking Prices 

Lot 1: Offers over 

£370,000 

Lot 2: Offers over 

£60,000 

As a whole: Offers 

over £430,000 




FOR SALE 

BARMOSSIE 

MOSS OF 

BARMUCKITY, 

ELGIN, 

IV30 8QW 

Spacious 4-bedroom bungalow 

with extensive range of workshops, 

outbuildings and 14 acres 

2,100Sq.Ft of 

bright spacious living 

accommodation 

New fitted kitchen 

and bathroom 

Central heating 

from newly installed 

woodburner boiler 

connected by 

equaliser to oil fire 

system 

South facing aspect 

overlooking own land 

Equestrian and/ 

or redevelopment 

potential 

About 14.2 Acres in 

all for sale as a whole 

or in two lots with 

vacant possession 

Asking Prices: 

Offers over £420,000 




JOURNAL 35

THE ANM GROUP LTD. 

Thainstone Centre, 

Inverurie, AB51 5XZ, 

Scotland 

Tel: 01467 623 700 

Fax: 01467 623 777 

ABERDEEN & 

NORTHERN MARTS 

Thainstone Centre, 

Inverurie, AB51 5XZ, 

Scotland 

Tel: 01467 623 710 

Fax: 01467 623 777 

Regional Centres 

ELGIN AUCTION 

CENTRE 

Tel: 01343 547 047 

SCOTCH PREMIER 

MEAT LIMITED 

North Street, Inverurie, 

AB51 4TL, Scotland 

Tel: 01467 620 631 

Fax: 01467 624 653 

YORKSHIRE PREMIER 

MEAT LIMITED 

Aston Street, Sheffield, 

S2 5BD, England 

Tel: 01142 761 771 

Fax: 01142 753 989 

CHARCUTERIE LIMITED 

The Green, Twechar, 

Glasgow, G65 9QA, Scotland 

Tel: 01236 824 440 

Fax: 01236 825 044 

ABERDEEN & 

NORTHERN (ESTATES) 

LIMITED 

Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, 

AB51 5XZ, Scotland 

Tel: 01467 623 800 

Fax: 01467 623 809 

CAITHNESS 

LIVESTOCK CENTRE 

Tel: 01955 621 363 

HIGHLAND 

CUISINE LIMITED 



Tel: 01467 623 867 

Fax: 01467 623 810 

and at 

Lidgate Crescent, 

Langthwaite Grange 

Industrial Estate, Kirkby, nr 

Pontefract, West Yorks, 

WF9 3NR, England 

Tel: 01977 658 000 

Fax: 01977 649 062 

THAINSTONE 

SPECIALIST AUCTIONS 



Tel: 01467 623 770 

Fax: 01467 623 771

RAW HIDE GOING GLOBAL TALKING BUSINESS - ANM Group

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