Branding the Hebrides

Production has almost doubled and they are now exporting the branded Hebridean product to eleven markets, mainly in Europe but also to North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The company, part of the Canadian-owned Clearwater group, has invested heavily in its Stornoway facility and the langoustines success could open the way to other Hebridean seafood being similarly branded and promoted.

A new marketing video, which also serves as a great visual advert for Lewis, stresses the “pristine waters” of the North Minch and describes a process which maximises freshness by using velocity air freezing technology to lock in colour and flavour within 25 minutes of the shellfish arriving at Goat Island.

Macduff are buying from fishermen in Wester Ross ports including Ullapool, Gairloch and Aultbea and at Uig in Skye, as well as in the Western Isles. The increased demand they have created has led to a big increase in prices over the past year – so good news for west coast fishermen!

Iain Macleod, general manager of the Goat Island plant, says that it is healthy to have a number of buyers in the field. Macduff buy from boats that are at sea for 24 or maximum 48 hours as part of the “absolute freshness” criteria and generally arrange transport to the Goat Island facility.

The number employed at Goat Island has increased from 19 to 34 since the opening of the modernised plant last year. Iain said that as well as taking on local staff, they have been able to employ Ukrainian and Moldovan workers in Stornoway.

The £4.6 million investment which was completed last year at the long-established Goat Island site involved a partnership between MacDuff and Stornoway Port and Harbour Authority with support from Marine Scotland and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

Andrew Brown, director of sustainability and public affairs at MacDuff Shellfish, said that Stornoway is “extremely important” to the group because of the quality of product and relationships with local fishermen.