THE owners of a young Buchan food production company in Aberdeenshire have been heartened by an increase in sales of 40% through their new website and increased sales for Valentine's Day – all thanks in part to a grant from Aberdeenshire Council.
Berry Scrumptious, based in Memsie, is the fruit of Claire and Ross Rennie who started the business in 2005 after spotting a gap in the market for providing chocolate covered strawberries for events and as gifts. The move to provide the sweet treats
allowed the couple to expand their traditional farm-based business supplying fruit locally.
Claire said: "We started with an initial product range of fresh chocolate covered strawberries and are still the only company in the UK who sends these by mail order UK wide.
"In addition, we developed a range of chocolate bars using freeze dried raspberries and strawberries, again grown on the farm and these are available at delicatessens and farm shops throughout Aberdeenshire and Scotland."
'We started with an initial product range of fresh chocolate covered strawberries and are still the only company in the UK who sends these by mail order UK wide' Claire Rennie
The company received a grant from Aberdeenshire Council's Support for Aberdeenshire Business (SAB) scheme of £4,800 towards the development of a new website which was launched in October last year.
Since the launch the company has seen an increase in online gift sales of around 40% and say current sales for Valentine's Day 2010 are the best to date.
Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Services Committee Councillor Peter Argyle said: "Recent changes to Aberdeenshire Council's Support for Aberdeenshire Business scheme has helped companies like Berry Scrumptious grow and should encourage more local companies to get in touch to receive support.
"To hear of a small business doing so well is really inspirational and not only that but it is one that is enhancing the offering of a traditional farm-based business supplying fruit. It's innovation at its best."
Vice chairwoman Councillor Jill Webster added: "I'm very pleased that a company in Aberdeenshire has been able to strengthen its position in such a harsh economic climate, especially in an industry such as food production, and I wish them all the best for the future.
"The company now has a new website to attract customers across the UK and has increased its turnover and should provide encouragement to other businesses to take up opportunities either though the council's SAB scheme or other agencies."
Berry Scrumptious employs two full-time and one part-time member of staff with plans to expand further via the recent appointment of two distributors to supply berry chocolate bars and new products across the UK.
Claire encourages other businesses to market their business by taking advantage of grants, saying: "The support from Aberdeenshire Council in developing our new website has been invaluable.
"If we did not have access to the SAB grant, we would not have been able to put together as professional a website as we would have liked and we would more than likely have missed sales opportunities because of that."
For more information and to find out if your business might be eligible visit www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/support/finance/sab.asp
