How a Fife family business went from farming to international sales

A family-run crafting business in Fife who started in the farming industry now share their products around the world.

Selbrae House, based in Kirkcaldy, specialises in the sale of hand-crafted, Scottish-made slate products.

Starting as the Just Slate company in 2006, they now sell various products including homeware and gifts to retailers both at home and abroad.

Most of the company’s products are handmade in their warehouse in Kirkcaldy.

Donny Carstairs, the owner, embarked on the journey with the support of his family. However, the family business began long before Selbrae House.

Move to retail from farming

Donny was born and raised in St Andrews in a farming family. In the 1980s, the need for diversification introduced the Carstairs to the world of retail.

His mother started her own business drying and selling flowers. When he graduated from university as an accountant, Donny joined his mother in running her business.

Donny said: “It was light years away from being a farmer who would sell cattle at market for a set price or grain per ton.

“That concept of the family and being creative and diversifying sort of started then and she was definitely moving away from farming and getting into retail.

“I think that gave us the confidence of what we do right now doesn’t have to be tomorrow. ”

Selbrae House production and design director Emma Carstairs, director Donny Carstairs and production director Colin Carstairs at their production site in Kirkcaldy. — Production and design director Emma Carstairs, director Donny Carstairs and production director Colin Carstairs at their production site in Kirkcaldy. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

In 2006, Donny made the decision to start up The Just Slate Company, taking on his two siblings as business partners.

In the beginning the company specialised in slate products, like place mats and coasters. However, over the years, the were constantly looking for new business channels and other products they could sell.

As the product line grew, more brands were established to reflect this.

Eventually, Donny realised the Just Slate name no longer made sense, and so Selbrae House was born.

The company is in the process of switching all of their products to adopt their new branding and tagline, “meaningfully made”.

Family at the heart of Selbrae House

Donny is the director of the company, his sister Emma is the director of production and design and his brother Colin is director of production.

He said: “Involving the family was organic. I started off in mum’s business and then my sister came into that, and eventually my brother.

“People can’t understand how we can work together and be siblings. We have a nice respect for each other. In that we all have different skill-sets and wouldn’t want to do each other’s jobs. You won’t find more loyal people.

“For us as a first generation, we’ve grown up making mistakes in business while also having success so you become fine-tuned to trying new things.”

The fife family behind Selbrae House. — Donny keeps the value of family at the heart of his company. Image: Selbrae House.

“Mum and dad still come into the workplace, Dad does wages and shipping, mum comes in because she likes being around her family, seeing what is going on, she brings her dog in.”

A Fife family business goes international

Most of Selbrae House’s products are handmade in their factory in Kirkcaldy.

Donny said: “The ‘meaningfully made’ which is our strap line, applies to everything. Everything’s got a natural feel and tone. If they’re not handcrafted by us in Kirkcaldy, they’re hand-crafted by people with the same artisan traits, to provide a bigger range.”

The company sell to outlet, including John Lewis and Loch Leven’s Larder, as well as running their online shop.

However, around 40% of the company’s sales are from their exports. They ship their product to more than 30 countries.

Donny said: “We’re doing really well in North America and Canada. They’ve got a really big connection with Scottish products, Scottish heritage and Scottish history.

“The world’s becoming a very small place and globalisation means that you can get the same burger in France as you can in Japan from McDonald’s and people search for that point of difference.

“When you’ve got a unique story of a brand from Scotland, family-run, independent, doing something very different from the land of our ancestors—people respond to that.”

Staff members cutting slate to shape at the production site in Kirkcaldy. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

He added: “It’s also got a relatable story and when you’re giving that present, that person in America or Canada or New Zealand can say ‘It’s actually hand crafted in Scotland from fallen oak with a design of a stag on it’ which makes them feel part of Scotland.

“It’s quite a powerful story and people these days are searching from powerful stories rather than just a functional product.”

Opening a shop in St Andrews

Around a year ago, Donny made the decision to open a shop in St Andrews. Since then, it has been welcoming visitors from the public, other retailers and businesses.

Donny explained: “One of the reasons we brought it on board was to see our product completely in a retail landscape and get that first-hand feel for it.

“We use the shop for sales, but we also bring other customers here to see how you would set a shop up.

“More importantly, it lets us see where the gaps in our product range are.

“So if someone comes in looking for something we don’t offer, we can take that on board and decide how we’re going to move forward.”

Most recently, Donny has decided to release fragrance brands, which will give customers who don’t have an interest in their previous products something to buy.

Laser etching at Just Slate production site in Kirkcaldy. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

“We think that in the shop right now there’s no real candles or fragrance or hand lotions or soaps. This brings a brand new product category into the shop. ”

He added: “A large majority of products today are made in China, there’s not many people doing that in Scotland.

“We’re different, we’re not whisky or food, we’re making things here, we’re employing people, we’ve got a story, we’re a family business from Fife.

“It feels good and looks good, we’ve got loads of channels we’re selling into and we’re quite unique.”

Creating a good working environment

Donny explained part of the success of the business comes down to their working environment.

There are around 37 employees that work for Selbrae House, along with their retail partners in various countries.

Donny with Selbrae House staff at the production site in Kirkcaldy, Fife. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

With their wholesale business, their website and the shop, Donny and the rest of the team are always busy.

While he is content with just the one shop in St Andrews, Donny still wants to expand the exports to other countries, like Korea and Australia.

He said: “It feels like a lifestyle, I enjoy being in it, I enjoy the thrill of it, I don’t worry about retiring. I think that’s what life is all about.”