Falkirk family butchers firm gets creative during COVID-19 year

The way things are going, a good old Malcolm Allan steak pie is about all we will have to look forward to this festive season and company director Gordon Allan knows how important it is to keep getting products out there to people – and even vegetarians can now enjoy Malcolm Allan creation.

Mr Allan said: “It’s inevitable coronavirus is going to affect your business. We are classed as key workers and have to keep going – we had to come to work, and we are delighted about that.”

He added there was little official guidance on how the business could still operate safely, but management and staff stepped up to the mark, using common sense, and came up with measures which allowed things to keep ticking over.

“We have had a number of audits recently,” said Mr Allan. “And we must be doing alright. We did have one case of COVID-19 in the small meat plant – not the Larbert facility.

“All staff were tested and everyone else was clear and we talked with the local authority and kept working. We have done the best we can to protect ourselves and our business.

“The chats we had with the local authority went quite well when we had that potential issue. At the moment what we are doing works, but we are not resting on our laurels.”

They certainly are not.

The business, now located in Central Park Avenue, Larbert, has been manufacturing quality Scottish meat products since 1954.

The company has grown in size and now employs almost 200 people,

A number of new product lines are currently doing well in shops, including a vegetarian sausage roll which has already earned the official approval of Vegan and Vegetarian societies.

And Mr Allan’s chance meeting with a representative of Bruce Farms in Perth resulted in Malcolm Allan’s new Apple and Scottish Berry Pie dessert.

“They went into Tesco stores and are doing well,” said Mr Allan. “I had it last night and it was very nice. We have also done our very first vegetarian product and that’s doing well in Asda.

“You’ve got to look at what’s happening now, look forward and diversify.”

And this diversification has also led to Malcolm Allan’s marvellous meat products teaming up with McGhee’s tattie scones to create the Ultimate Breakfast package, which is also selling well.

Mr Allan said the firm is already looking towards the festive period.

“We have already sold out of steak pie orders,” he said. “Some 800,000 orders in four days. It’s going to be busy this year – but different. I think people will want to get their steak pies and everything else early and put them in their freezer.

“These days you don’t want to be out at the busy shops on December 23.”

Mention of Brexit and what that means to a firm like Malcolm Allan, led to an honest response from the company director.

Mr Allan said: “You can only deal with what’s in front of you that day and right now that’s COVID-19, but we have not forgotten Brexit.”