Perthshire-based Simon Howie Butchers, whose products are sold by the UK’s leading supermarkets, continues to deliver healthy profits.
Turnover for last year was up 8% at £14.1 million, and a £30,000 reduction in interest charges allied to investment income of £117,000 raised pre-tax profit by 30% to £2.4m.
The previous year turnover was up 9% at £13m and profit before tax had more than doubled at £1.85m.
The master butcher said the financial position in 2014 of the company, based at his Findony Farm in Dunning, was healthy.
The balance sheet had strengthened and the short-term prospects remained positive.
He said: “The company is retaining profits to invest in operational improvements to maintain margins.
“Turnover increases with the marketing of new products and an enhanced operating profit is achieved through greater production efficiencies and prudent management of overheads.”
Last year’s performance was boosted by a six-figure sales contract for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September.
Howie supplied corporate hospitality providers with more than 1,500 racks of Scotch Lamb for the Ryder Cup Gala Dinner.
It also supplied mobile caterers with more than 20,000 Simon Howie burgers to the food stalls throughout the three-day golfing event.
Simon Howie is prominent in the retail trade in Perthshire with butcher shops in Perth and Auchterarder.
Shop staff are part of a workforce of more than 100.
Recent growth owes much to Howie’s branded bacon, sausages, haggis and black pudding being sold by Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Aldi and the Co-operative Group.
The company has further increased distribution in England and picked up several high-end restaurant customers.
The company founder prides himself on having lived in Dunning all his life “from a wee boy on the farm to now running my own business, which is still based in the village”.
He added: “The move from farming to butchery felt natural, it was my dad’s idea and I’m still grateful to him for it.”