ABP expands in Scotland with purchase of two Scotbeef sites
© Tim Scrivener Meat processor ABP has today announced the acquisition of two sites from Scotbeef – the Bridge of Allan abattoir in Stirlingshire and the Queenslie meat packing plant in Glasgow.
The two facilities will now become part of the company’s UK meat division, which also includes an existing processing facility in Perth, Scotland.
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The sale is expected to complete at the end of July 2023, and ABP chief executive Frank Stephenson said he anticipated a “smooth and seamless” transition for farmer-suppliers and customers at the two affected plants.
“It will be very much business as usual with a commitment to building on Scotbeef’s well-established tradition and reputation for high-quality Scottish red meat products,” he said.
Family owned
Scotbeef is a family-owned business, founded in 1920, and is now run by the fourth generation of the Galloway family.
The sale of the two sites will still leave the company operational in the Scottish meat trade, with an older slaughtering facility at Inverurie, and cutting and packing facilities at East Kilbride and Annan (ScotLamb).
Scotbeef chief executive Robbie Galloway described the sales as “the right move” for Scottish agriculture, “as it secures the ongoing viability of these slaughtering and packing facilities”.
It is understood that the loss of a large contract for Scotbeef to supply discount retailer Aldi with beef in April may have been a motivation for the sale, with that business picked up by ABP.
National Beef Association chief executive Neil Shand said the sale concluded months of speculation, but he was pleased the slaughtering and processing facilities at Bridge of Allan and Queenslei were to remain operational.
“It is always a concern that UK meat processing is being concentrated in too few hands, so it is vital these sites continue to provide Scotland with essential capacity,” he said.
Mr Shand also urged Scotbeef to proceed with the creation of a new replacement abattoir at Inverurie, for which it won planning permission and government funding in 2018, but which has not yet been built.
About the ABP Food Group
ABP, owned by the Goodman family from Ireland, has operated in the Scottish meat sector for more than 40 years, supplying fresh and frozen meat products to retailers and food service providers in the UK and worldwide.
It employs more than 13,000 staff across its four divisions – red meat, pet foods, renewables and protein – with processing facilities in nine countries and a turnover of €5bn (£4.3bn).
It works with a global network of over 35,000 farmers, paying its suppliers on the day of delivery at strategically located local abattoirs.