Rural Affairs Secretary visits award-winning dairy Rowan Glen
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has been welcomed to Dumfries & Galloway to find out more about the success of Rowan Glen.
Ms Gougeon visited the Palnure-based dairy company – situated in the heart of Scotland’s Natural Capital Innovation Zone - to hear more about the business, which last month won multiple awards at the Royal Highland Show.
Rowan Glen revival
The Highland Show win is the latest milestone for the business, which was newly formed in 2022 when it purchased the Palnure factory and Rowan Glen Brand with our support.
Since then, the new management team have established Rowan Glen as one of Scotland’s top 50 take-home food and drink brands, and have also gained Living Wage and Living Hours accreditation.
Rowan Glen have also committed to being more sustainable through the installation of a new milk separator, which we supported, which has allowed the company to use more locally sourced milk, reducing packaging and freight miles.
SOSE Spotlight podcast
We recorded a podcast with Alan Baxter, Managing Director of Rowan Glen, earlier this year, which you can listen to.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said:
“I am delighted to come and see around Rowan Glen dairy, especially so soon after a number of their products, utilising quality locally sourced milk, won awards at the Royal Highland Show.
“It’s also been great to hear about the work Rowan Glen have been doing to make the company more sustainable, such as reducing packaging, showing how businesses can review their operations to reduce their impact on nature and climate.”
Alan Baxter, Managing Director of Rowan Glen, added:
“We were pleased to welcome the Rural Affairs Secretary to Rowan Glen to find out more about our business. “Rowan Glen has always been about quality, taste and sourcing locally.
"The Royal Highland Show result was a proud moment for our business, especially after becoming independently owned just a few years ago.
“It is brilliant to see our yogurt standing shoulder to shoulder with some of Scotland’s biggest food brands.”
Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of SOSE, said:
“Rowan Glen is a vital business for Dumfries & Galloway, with the south-west of Scotland home to around 80% of Scotland’s dairy herds.
“This is why we decided to support the new management team’s buyout in 2022 and their subsequent efforts to become more sustainable.
“They have shown a real commitment not just to the dairy industry but treating their employees fairly, which in turn has provided significant benefits to the overall running of the company.”