Mackie’s of Scotland engages with graduate scheme to develop confectionery industry talent

An ambitious young British graduate has kick-started a dream career developing ice cream and chocolate at Mackie’s of Scotland’s family farm, where she is set to learn a host of key industry skills.

Hannah Beattie, 25, landed the tasty role as the NPD (new product development) coordinator and will hone her knowledge and palate as she is tasked with devising new flavour combinations, sauces and fresh innovations.

The Aberdeenshire local (pictured right of main image) applied for the job following a master’s degree in tourism and hospitality management at Robert Gordon University, switching careers after losing her job as a result of the first lockdown.

The 12-month term role is part of the Opportunity North East [ONE] Graduate into Business initiative, with the possibility that it will develop into a permanent position.

Mackie’s busy NPD kitchen has created some of the country’s best-loved sweet treats and its small team is tasked with constantly creating new flavours and improved recipes for Mackie’s ice cream and chocolate ranges.

As well as the practical development of new products; technical and analytical elements of the job are crucial for ensuring products that hit supermarket shelves and freezers have the best chance of becoming long-term favourites.

Now through her intensive induction period, which required her getting a full understanding of each element of the business along with extensive taste-testing, Hannah has settled into her new role.

She said: “My induction has flown by, I am learning so much every day. I’ve been working on mood boards and adding to my portfolio of ideas to help create new and exciting flavour combinations.

“Part of the challenge is fully conceptualising these ideas right through to how they will result in a finished product, but I have had a tremendous amount of support thus far from the team at Mackie’s.

Of the ONE graduate programme, Hannah has said that she is pleased with the assistance on offer “which will help me with my development within the role by offering fortnightly workshops in Aberdeen and £5,000 worth of external training opportunities.” ONE’s graduate programme is supported by funding from the North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund.

Photo by Ross Johnston/Newsline Media

Kirstin McNutt, Development Director with Mackie’s of Scotland, said: “Hannah has shown an immense amount of talent and creativity thus far, and we are delighted to have her on board. “We are looking forward to seeing the exciting ideas that she will come up with, in what is the creative heart of our business.”

The first three weeks on the job entailed an in-depth induction to allow Hannah to visit all the other areas at the farm, meet all the key people and receive a tour of the production areas in the chocolate factory and ice cream dairy and other areas like the sweetie kitchen or moulding room.

This process is extremely important to Mackie’s which it deems a crucial process in embedding new employees into the company’s culture – and helping the company on its way to achieving its mission of becoming a ‘trusted global brand from the greenest company in Britain created by people having fun.’

One of Hannah’s innovative ideas for future products is a mint Irish cream ice cream, inspired by St Patrick’s Day – and now its Hannah’s job to ensure the new flavour, made with mint crystals created in-house by Mackie’s, will deliver the desired taste and look in a finished ice cream.

Hannah said: “The most enjoyable aspect of my role is the ability to be as creative as I can be, and to generate lots of ideas along with the other great ice cream minds here in the team.

“My initial expectations were exceeded as I have been given the freedom to take the advice from the more technical side of the process while putting my own spin on things, creating new innovative ideas, that may or may not go anywhere, but if you don’t try, you’ll never find out.

The initiative is the private sector catalyst for economic diversification and growth in north east Scotland, accredited to developing and delivering transformational projects.

This opportunity is taking Hannah across borders as Mackie’s plan for the NPD team to travel to Rimini, Italy for the SIGEP International Exhibition for Artisan Production of Ice-cream, Pastry, Confectionery and Bakery.