Just months after acquiring a Dundee bakery, Murdoch Allan secured a supermarket deal for its Dundee roll.
It is producing around 20,000 of the Dundee rolls a day from the Teviotdale Bakery in Dundee.
The deal with Morrisons supermarket – which will add to the nine jobs the city bakery employs – would be a career highlight for many companies.
But it is the latest development in a long line of success for Murdoch Allan.
The business started in 1991 with the purchase of a Fraserburgh bakery for £46,000.
Today, it is known throughout the north-east and employs 170 staff.
Its turnover is approaching £10 million – that’s a lot of Aberdeen rowies, pies, and yum yums and Dundee rolls.
Calling to be a baker was strong
Paul Allan was 16 years old when he joined the business started by his parents started by Murdoch and Caroline Allan.
The 49-year-old originally wanted to be a RAF pilot but found himself at Technical College in Aberdeen training to be a baker after leaving Mintlaw Academy.
He said: “I had decided I wanted to have a career in baking. I’d work at the weekends and my grandfather was a baker as was my two uncles.
“It was in my blood. I had ideas of joining the RAF and being a pilot but the calling to be a baker was to strong.
“I stayed at college for a year until I left to join the business.”
Murdoch Allan started after buying Reid’s in Fraserburgh for £46,000. In the first year turnover went from £70,000 to £350,000.
Paul, who is married to fellow director Katrina, 52, said: “We rebranded Reid’s as Murdoch Allan and changed all the recipes straightaway.
“It’s not often you’d do that from the get go. But the Reid’s business wasn’t doing very well so we decided we’d use our own.
“We worked our socks off and were very successful.
“There was a bingo hall and on a Friday night we used to have hot butteries come out the oven ready for when it finished.
“It was a big part of our business.”
Acquisition doubled turnover
Two years after their first acquisition the Allan family took over Robb’s Bakery in Strichen.
Product ranges increased as well as the supply of corner shops and independent supermarkets.
Murdoch Allan opened its first retail shop in Ellon but took the decision to close when Tesco was built as Paul didn’t feel it was the right location any longer. It opened in Turriff instead.
In 2002, with the long-established Simmers factory in Hatton due for closure by owners United Biscuits, a deal was struck for Murdoch Allan to take over the factory and maintain production in the village.
As a result, local jobs were safeguarded and turnover virtually doubled overnight.
At the same time a deal was agreed for Murdoch Allan to acquire Chalmers Bakery north division.
The acquisition of Simmers saw staff numbers soar to 60 people and Murdoch Allan was now producing shortbread and biscuits for McVitie’s.
A big milestone for the business came in 2005 when Murdoch Allan started supplying Asda.
Paul, who married Katrina in 2012, said: “It was a big change for the business but we were lucky as we had the experience of supplying McVitie’s.
“We had the expertise in house and started supplying multiple supermarkets starting with Asda.
“It’s something I’m proud of. We supply 25 products across 60 Asda stores.”
Dundee roll success
Since launching the Dundee rolls, Murdoch Allan have been selling 20,000 a day.
The Dundee roll is a large bread roll with a golden crisp outer and white fluffy inner, which Murdoch Allan say is “ideal” for filled lunchtime rolls. It has proved to be a hit with locals.
Morrisons has recently agreed to stock the Dundee rolls in 12 of its stores, meaning an increase in production of 40,000 rolls a week.
Paul said: “We’ll keep Dundee ticking away.
“It’s a really good basis of a business and the people are very good.
“There’s a great foundation there to build on and we’ve got the start in Morrisons.
“We are also speaking to Aldi and Asda so there’s a few plans in the pipeline for Dundee.”
Aberdeen butteries a best seller
Today, Murdoch Allan has bakeries in Aberdeen, Fraserburgh, Turriff, Hatton, Peterhead and Mintlaw.
When asked about best sellers there’s no hesitation from Paul.
“Aberdeen butteries are miles ahead followed by steak pies, mince pies, yum yums and then pineapple danish,” he said.
Another big acquisition for Murdoch Allan was Thains Bakery in 2015 for a seven-figure sum.
Then in 2018 it started supplying pies for Aberdeen FC. Paul estimates they have sold 1.5 million in that time.
In 2021 the Allan family was hit hard with the death of Murdoch at the age of 69.
He had still been very active in the business up until a year before he died.
Paul said: “He was a big miss to me. We were very close.
“We worked together and were friends as well as father and son.
“Dad had been a baker all his life and had a lot of experience.”
“I’m really proud of what we’ve managed to achieve as a family business.
“Our values have never changed.
“We didn’t want to be a Harrods. Our people are very valued and always said it should never be a thought for anyone to come to work.”
Family support been important
Those sentiments are echoed by Katrina who met Paul while working in Simmers.
She said: “There’s always ups and downs but when you are both in business together it doesn’t feel like it’s a job.
“We speak about it at the breakfast table but it’s a normal chat for us.
“We have been supportive for each other.
“The girls loved being involved in the business. Danielle worked as a Saturday girl in the Peterhead shop from 13 up until she went to university.”
Farming and distilling
The couple are now looking towards their next project after buying a farm with a herd of pedigree Aberdeen Angus and renovating the house.
As well as baking Paul and Katrina have turned their hand to distilling and in 2020 started their own vodka and gin spirit brand called Still Spirited.
Looking to the future of Murdoch Allan, Paul hopes to see the business continue to flourish.
He said: “We’ll continue to do what we’re doing.
“For us it’s about the quality of the product and keeping up our standards.”
