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Angus marmalade maker Mackays halved its losses and boosted sales by almost 20% in the first full year since being bought by a Canadian company.

The preserve specialist hailed a “swift recovery” in turnover after describing the year previous as its “most challenging”.

Mackays posted a pre-tax loss of £1.2 million to December 31 2024, the latest annual accounts show.  This is compared to a £2.8 million loss in 2023.

Sales rocketed by 19.9% to £17.4 million, up from £14.6 million the year before.

Mackays is now the fastest growing marmalade brand in the UK, bucking national trends.

The Arbroath business, which employs more than 125 people, has been marketing jam and marmalade since 1938.

Mackays moved to an 80,000sq ft facility in Arbroath in 2008.  It makes products under its own name and also has the Mrs Bridges brand.

In 2023, Toronto based Mitchells Foods bought a controlling stake in the business, opening up new transatlantic markets.

Managing director Martin Grant hailed the firm’s “renewed momentum” in his review of the business.

He said: “2024 marked a year of strong recovery and renewed momentum for Mackays following one of the most challenging trading periods in the company’s history.

“After the significant pressures experienced in 2023 – arising from lingering pandemic effect, inflationary cost surges, and volatility in global markets – the business entered the new financial year on a much firmer footing, supported by the successful external investment secured in the prior year.

“This growth reflected improved demand in core markets, greater stability across supply chains and enhanced operational efficiency.”

The MD said that international sales were a key driver of the improved performances.  Exports rose by 12.7% to £4.88 million.

“Export markets accounted for 28% of total turnover, with UK sales representing the remaining 72%,” he said.

“While international growth was slightly behind the UK rate, the board continues to view overseas markets as an area of strategic importance, with considerable scope for expansion.

“The Mackays and Mrs Bridges brands retain strong recognition in both traditional and emerging export territories, providing a robust platform for future development.”

The brand’s signature use of steam-heated, copper-bottomed pans and traditional small-batch production techniques sets it apart, the owners believe.

Mackays is intertwined with Dundee’s historic association with marmalade.  Janet Keiller turned bitter Seville oranges from a storm-struck ship into the first commercial marmalade in 1797.

The original Mackays factory in Carnoustie, a former carrot processing plant, was taken over by the Mackay brothers in 1938.  In 1970, Mackays was sold to United Biscuits, who made jam for its famous Jam Rings.

Paul Grant – a former employee of United Biscuits – took over in 1995 and began growing the Mackay brand again.  In 2008, Mackays moved from its Carnoustie factory to a much larger facility in Arbroath, opened by the Princess Royal.

Internationally, Mackays’ handmade marmalade has a strong and growing presence, with products now sold in 70 countries.

This article appeared in The Courier on 22 October 2025