Family-owned Scottish baker brand popularity surges

The Herald Scotland

12 hours ago

Glasgow-based bakery McGhee's, a fourth-generation family-owned business, noted this surge in brand popularity comes as it is expanding beyond its west of Scotland heartland with the aim of becoming 'a household name across the country'.
Its second place is among Scottish fast-moving consumer goods brands, ranked according to their popularity in Scotland.
The report reveals the ranking of shoppers' most chosen food and drink brands over the 52 weeks to October 2024, with dairy Graham's, teacake and caramel wafer producer Tunnock's, and pie maker Bells placed third, fourth and fifth respectively.
In its report, Worldpanel by Numerator says: 'McGhee's is gaining ground through coverage across breakfast, lunch and snack moments. Like others in the bakery space, it faces pressure from evolving eating habits.
"But its tone and outreach - especially on social media - suggest a push to connect with younger consumers. If the brand can continue to win new buyers while retaining its core, it has a good shot at sustainable growth in a segment that is otherwise softening.'
Worldpanel by Numerator adds: 'From a portfolio perspective, McGhee's has also seen notable frequency gains across its top-selling SKUs (stock-keeping units), including rising repeat rates for staples like soft white floury rolls and pineapple tarts. An uplift in online channel sales also hints at improved digital shelf presence and broader accessibility beyond the traditional bedrock of supermarkets.'
Meanwhile, Worldpanel by Numerator says of Irn-Bru: 'Irn Bru remains Scotland's most chosen brand. That result isn't surprising for this iconic drinks brand, but it is instructive.
'The brand continues to find its place in the middle of the day - lunch and afternoon snacks - even as pressure builds at evening meals. It's growing across a wider range of age groups, which suggests a deliberate shift in how it connects with shoppers.'
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The consumer research ranks McGhee's as 13th most chosen among all fast-moving consumer goods brands in Scotland. Among bakery brands, McGhee's is third most chosen in Scotland, behind industry giants Warburtons and Hovis.
Warburtons is the highest-ranking fast-moving consumer goods brand in Scotland, followed by Cadburys and then Walkers, with Irn-Bru 11th in this table and Graham's 14th.
McGhee's noted: 'With a brand penetration of 50.8%, shoppers are buying McGhee's products an average of nearly 11 times per year.'
It added: 'The Worldpanel by Numerator report highlighted strong sales of soft white rolls and potato scones among the products driving that growth.'
McGhee's revealed that, in the last six months, its pre-packed roll sales have grown 42% on last year, declaring the 'launch of a new sourdough roll for more health-conscious consumers has also contributed to that success'.
It added: 'In recent years continued investment in plant, equipment, and site expansion has enabled McGhee's to significantly increase production capacity."
McGhee's observed this had helped sales of its 'signature rolls' to triple in volume.
It added: 'McGhee's supplies a significant share of Scotland's bread rolls - around half are sold through supermarket retailers and independent convenience stores. Alongside its famous rolls, customer favourites such as empire biscuits, caramel shortcake, [and] assorted tarts, as well as pineapple and raspberry tarts, also continue to see strong demand.
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'The figures arrive as McGhee's embarks on an ambitious brand refresh ahead of the bakery's 90th anniversary next year, drawing on its heritage, reliability, and pride in feeding Scotland for generations.'
The business said it hoped this would 'drive further growth, which would be reflected in next year's report'.
The metric used in the study, consumer reach points, takes into account a brand's penetration and frequency, as well as the number of households in the country.
Lesley Ann Gray, strategic insight director at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: 'For brands, the chances of finding a place in household cupboards and fridges around the world are as uncertain as a coin toss, with inflation and geopolitical pressures heavily influencing how people shop and which products they choose.
'That does not mean, however, that growth is purely down to chance. Even so, brands should anticipate that next year the odds of growth will decline from an even split, 50:50, to something more like 45:55, which means they will need to work even harder to achieve success.'
She added: 'In Scotland, where overall consumption has remained flat, those [brand] choices tell us even more. There's no tide lifting all boats. To hold position, let alone grow, a brand must find relevance in how people eat, shop, and live. It's no longer enough to be visible. You have to be useful, and consistently so.'
Aisling McGhee, commercial director at McGhee's, said: 'We are incredibly proud of our Scottish roots and the role we have played in helping to feed Scotland for four generations. Being included among the most popular Scottish brands - and among the top 20 brands across all categories - is an incredible achievement and testament to the strategy we have put in place in recent years.
'We are extremely proud of the team who have played such an important role in making this happen, and we have more to come - both in Scotland and beyond - built on the significant investments we have made in the business and the fresh new brand we are rolling out ahead of our anniversary in 2026.'