Smart Talking with Taste of Arran

In this week’s Smart Talking we chat to Maureen McKenna, Business Development Manager, Taste of Arran.

Hi Maureen, welcome to Smart Talking. Please tell us more about Taste of Arran and what it does.

Maureen: Taste of Arran is a collaborative business which promotes, sells and distributes some of Arran’s premium food and drink to customers all over the UK and beyond. Taste of Arran is a limited company and not a traditional co-operative, but the 10 partners work together in either marketing, sales development or distribution solutions, or sometimes all three.

Where did the idea come from for Taste of Arran and what prompted its formation?

Maureen: A recent SAC (Scottish Agricultural College) study highlighted the fact the Isle of Arran has a higher proportion of small food and drink producers than any other postcode area in Scotland; therefore, it seemed to make sense to work with each other to overcome the common obstacles of increased costs associated with the island location, distance to market etc, and to collectively promote the island, which is at the very heart of the Taste of Arran brand.

What do you believe are the key benefits of such an innovative collaboration and how does the organisation measure its own development?

Maureen: As more and more customers attempt to reduce the number of suppliers they have to deal with in an attempt to achieve efficiency savings; they can find it difficult to retain the connection and close relationships with artisan producers which can often be their point of difference and the thing which consumers value.

We believe that Taste of Arran offers customers an efficient supply chain solution, with levels of quality assurance and professionalism that not all small companies can offer, and at the same time retain the connection to artisan products and the people who make them. Like any commercial venture, we measure of development by the bottom line!

We believe that the group is keen to help other food and drink businesses in rural Scotland – can you tell us more about this?

Maureen: We have a great and varied range of Arran products: from cheeses and oatcakes  through real dairy ice cream to chocolates and malt whisky: with all of this produced on one small island, we believe there is something for everyone. However, as we move into export markets we recognise that there is an opportunity to widen the scope of the portfolio. Once again this is driven by providing customers with the kind of supply solution they are demanding.

The current economic climate is particularly challenging for businesses, not least for the Scottish tourism industry – how is your organisation coping with that – any positives coming out of the experience and any advice for others?

Maureen: Like everyone, we are finding the current economic climate challenging as consumer spending slows. However, our business is closely linked to the island’s tourism sector and we find that many visitors will take our products home as gifts and will also keep buying Arran products once they return home: people visiting the island have a great loyalty to all things ‘Arran’.

Because more people have been choosing to holiday in the UK this year we’ve been keen to take advantage of this trend by delivering a series of consumer events aimed at promoting both the destination, and our products to the new market of ‘staycationers’. Our largest event in 2011 was a weekend festival in Glasgow’s George Square which attracted crowds of around 8,000, and had an immediate effect on people choosing to visit the island.

Do social media and digital technology have a place in your organisation?

Maureen: Building on the great reception we’ve had from our consumer events this year, we’re just embarking on a project to really improve our use of social media and build our online business. This is a really exciting development and it’s gratifying to see the Taste of Arran online community growing, and interacting – the kind of immediate feedback you get from social media is great!

What is Taste of Arran up to at the moment?  Any news you would like to share with us?

We’ll be at the BBC Good Food Show in Glasgow from 21st – 23rd October 2011 where we’ll be launching some new and exclusive online gift products and obviously our online friends will be getting some wonderful special offers.

Many thanks for Smart Talking with us, Maureen – all the best with the Good Food Show!

For more information on Taste of Arran visit www.taste-of-arran.co.uk or follow on Twitter or Facebook