Walker's Shortbread Ltd. (formerly Walkers) is a Scottish manufacturer of shortbread, biscuits, cookies, and crackers. The shortbread is baked in the Moray village of Aberlour, following a recipe developed by Joseph Walker in 1898.
 | |
 Walker's Shortbread biscuits | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Baked goods |
| Founded | 1898 in Torphins, Scotland |
| Founder | Joseph Walker |
| Headquarters | Aberlour House Aberlour, Scotland |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Shortbread, biscuits, cookies, and crackers |
| Revenue | £164 million (2022)[1] |
Number of employees | 1,400 (2023)[1] |
| Website | walkersshortbread |
The company is one of Scotland's biggest exporters of food,[2][3] and employs over 1,200 people.[4] It is sold in tartan packaging all over the world.[5]
History
editThe business was founded by Joseph Walker in the village of Aberlour, Speyside, in 1898. It quickly started producing shortbread.[6] During the 1930s, two of Walkers' sons – James and Joseph – joined the family business. By 1936 they had purchased a van to allow for delivery of Walker's products outside of the local area. Joseph Walker, the founder, died in 1954 and passed the company to his children. By 1961, all three of James Walkers' children were also working for the firm. By 1970, the company had expanded to almost 100 employees, 14 vans, and two additional shops in the nearby towns of Elgin and Grantown-on-Spey. It had also expanded its baking operations in the store and its products could be found in British fine food stores. During the 1970s, the company would begin exporting to over 60 countries and by 1975 the company had opened its own factory.[7]
The company started producing oaten biscuits for Duchy Originals in 1992, having been approached the previous year.[8]
The profits of Walker's Shortbread, which is also still owned and managed by the Walker family,[9] were diminished by a global increase in the price of butter in 2018 by around 50%[10] due to supply shortages and demand increases, resulting in the company seeing a 60% drop in operating profit.[11]
The company rebranded, in 2020, changing its name to Walker's Shortbread Ltd.[12] It announced it was exploring how to create a vegan version of the butter-based biscuit in 2024.[13]
Locations
editWalker's Shortbread have their headquarters at Aberlour House in Aberlour and have a production site in Elgin.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Saunderson, Chris (19 December 2023). "Sir Jim Walker: 'Product and People' at heart of £164 million family shortbread business". The Northern Scot.
- ^ Reid, Scott (7 October 2020). "Iconic shortbread maker Walker's slims product range and pays back £1.3m to government". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Williams, Martin. "Complaints over Walkers' shortbread sold under a Union Flag". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Banks, Alex (3 October 2023). "Profits plunge at Walker's Shortbread takes shine off higher sales". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Searle, Maddy (6 October 2017). "All you need to know about Walker's Shortbread". The Scotsman. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ Kay, Emma (2020). A History of British Baking: From Blood Bread to Bake-off. Pen & Sword. pp. 113–114.
- ^ "Walker's History and Heritage." Walker's Shortbread. Available online, accessed 17 September 2024.
- ^ McCrea, Diane (2007). The Handbook of Organic and Fair Trade Food Marketing. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 176–180. ISBN 9780470996089.
- ^ Bindrim, Kira (2 July 2007). "Walkers Shortbread names new CEO". NewYorkBusiness.com. Crain Communications. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ Williams-Grut, Oscar. "The butter market is going crazy". Business Insider. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Shortbread firm hit by butter price surge". BBC News. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ Symon, Ken (7 October 2020). "Walker's Shortbread returns furlough payments as it reports increased turnover and marginally reduced profits". Business Insider. Insider Publications. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ Woolfson, Daniel (3 March 2023). "Royal shortbread maker poised to go vegan". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ "History & Heritage". WalkersShortbread.com. 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023. [self-published source]