A SCOTTISH ice cream firm has celebrated its most successful year in renewable energy production as its owner wants to strike a balance between making a “world-class" product with a minimal impact on the environment.
Mackie’s, based in Aberdeenshire, generated more than 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green energy between June 2023 and May 2024.
The ice cream firm has invested more than £6.5 million in its renewable energy infrastructure over the past decade.
Mackie’s has four wind turbines, a biomass energy plant, a 10-acre solar farm, and also a low-carbon refrigeration system at its Westerboard farm.
Mackie’s managing director Stuart Common (below) told the Press and Journal that renewable energy is at the heart of the firm’s mantra of producing “world-class ice cream and chocolate” while being conscious of its impact on the environment.
“We’re proud that our investment in wind, solar, and biomass energy has enabled us to achieve a milestone year in energy generation,” he said.
“Contributing over 7.5 million kWh back to the national grid last financial year alone.
“This achievement reflects our commitment to sustainability and the importance of renewable energy to the future of our business.
“An underlying goal of farming and family businesses is to pass things on in a better state than you found them.
“And renewable energy has long been an important part of that vision at Mackie’s.”
The family business also saw its ice cream sales increase year on year.
Mackie’s reported 7.5m kWh exported to the national grid is the electricity equivalent of powering around 41,000 homes for one month.
Common added: “We’re keen to explore additional ways to integrate sustainable practices into everything we do, from developing our products to how we operate.”
Mackie’s said it demonstrates its longstanding dedication to “becoming renewably self-sufficient and to environmental responsibility” with its investment into green energy sources.
It is reported that the firm uses renewable energy in every aspect of its production, from dairy farming to its packaging production.
