The butcher’s boy who left a £20m fortune
HE started his working life as a teenager behind the counter of a small chain of butcher shops run by his father and grandfather.
Over the next half-century, Ian Galloway built the family business into the multi-million-pound Scotbeef empire, the country’s largest red meat processing firm.
At the time of his death aged 75 in February last year, Scotbeef posted a £300million-plus turnover, employing more than 700 staff and supplying retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Harrods.
Now his newly published will shows that this one-time butcher’s boy left a personal fortune worth almost £20million, including a prized collection of luxury cars.
His wealth included shares in family firm JW Galloway, parent company of Scotbeef, worth £18.4million, and properties in Scotland and london.
Among the cars the motoring enthusiast owned was a 1963 Rolls-Royce valued at £68,800, a Bentley Arnage worth more than £18,000 and a £56,000 Range Rover Vogue.
Born in Aberdeen on June 21, 1940, he joined JW Galloway in 1956 from school as his father, James, who was concerned about his own health, wanted him to gain as much hands-on experience as possible.
A couple of years later, his father sent him on a world tour so he could broaden his knowledge of the trade.
The experience he gained helped the firm build the first driven-line meat-processing plant in the Uk and led to the founding of Scotbeef in 1962. By the mid-1970s JW Galloway had 56 shops throughout Glasgow and the central Belt, as well as operating two processing factories, and employed 1,100 staff.
The firm was already supplying M&S with canned meats and together they developed controlled-atmosphere packing of fresh meat, a move which encouraged Mr Galloway to leave retailing and concentrate on meat processing.
Those who worked with him said he had little time for consultants, preferring his own instincts.
Once confronted with some new management theory, he countered it by stating: ‘l don’t like bulls***. It’s the one part of the animal I’ve never been able to sell.’
Mr Galloway, of Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire, received numerous awards for his pioneering work, including a cBE in 2001 and an honorary degree from Glasgow University in 2009.
His main non-business interest aside from cars was in country sports. He was considered a very good shot, a skilful angler and an accomplished stalker.
He is survived by his widow, Avril, son Robbie, daughter Suzie, son-in-law James, daughters-in-law Nicki and Alison and his ten grandchildren. His son James died in 2002.
Paying tribute to Mr Galloway following his death, Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers president Alan McNaughton said: ‘Ian was always an innovator, pioneering product traceability, while being one of the first to develop strong processor/retailer links.
‘He was also a valued leader in the industry’s determination to fight back to the top of the meat sector from the challenge of BSE and foot and mouth.’
‘Ian was always an innovator’