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Loch Duart Ltd, based in Sutherland, Scotland has won one of Britain’s most coveted commercial awards. Her Majesty The Queen has approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation that a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category be conferred on the company. Loch Duart Ltd farm salmon in the north-west corner of Scotland, far from the rush and bustle of any city. Sutherland is a fragile economic area and sparsely populated. To run a successful award winning business in such an area requires a special team with very clear and focussed strategies. The company has always had a clear vision of how the farm would be run – the best welfare and environmental methods to produce salmon which taste outstandingly good. Nine years later, the demand for its salmon has spread from Europe to the USA, South Africa and Singapore. The combination of sustainable farming, optimum welfare practices and an excellent taste has opened niche markets domestically and also internationally. Loch Duart’s salmon is served by name on the menus of Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein and found on menus all over the world. “This award for international trade is an accolade for our sales department, whose strategies, commitment, attention to detail and understanding of the needs of our customers has resulted in growth of sales in many countries. On our behalf they have built close relationships with people all over the world in many different cultures.” Nick Joy, Managing Director said. “The approach to each country varies but the justification is the same. The justification is the presence of discerning customers prepared to pay more for a better tasting salmon which is farmed in a way in which they trust. This trust relates directly to Loch Duart brand values. Through these brand values we have established strong relationships with both trade customers and consumers – a remarkable achievement for a primary food product.” The trading strategy has to provide profitability, diversity and brand loyalty. Profitability – to be a sustainable commercial enterprise. Diversity in currency, culture and category (processing, retailing, food service). Brand loyalty to give us a sustainable future for our company. The challenge for Loch Duart’s sales team has been to communicate the farming methods and quality to an audience beyond Scotland. A steady stream of chefs and export customers have visited the farm, including such famous names as Rick Stein. “We want every person who tastes our salmon to have a wonderful experience. Word of mouth recommendations are so important to building a reputation.” said Andrew Bing, Sales Director. “We have built ours through an ethical approach based on a strong message. Beyond that we have exhibited at the Brussels seafood show for 5 years and had a wide ranging programme of visits to export customers and visits from customers keen to see things with their own eyes. There is an opinion among our customers that provenance is more important than accreditations or labels. Customers want to come to see where the fish grow, how they are fed and looked after. A considerable number of our customers have been to our farm, been out to sea to see the salmon and have got to know our farming team. They like the way that the salmon are reared and like the way that Loch Duart salmon tastes. You don’t have to teach anyone in the food business these days that welfare and environmental stewardship are linked to quality and taste.” “We are extremely proud to be given this award. We have previously won awards for taste, farming, environmental performance, marketing or general business. This one is special because it relates to the sales team and our achievement. Having said this, we must acknowledge that everyone in the whole company has contributed because it is all dependent on how we grow our salmon and the taste.” Notes to Editors
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