Kavli profit smoothed by pate

Kavli UK has doubled its profits following a £5 million extension to its pate-making facility in south-west Scotland.

The group’s expanded Castle Maclellan operation in Kirkcudbright, opened in 2015, was a “major factor” in driving profits to £1.9m in the latest financial year.

Profits from all Kavli products – also including Primula Cheese and St Helen’s Farm goat’s milk brands – are donated to charity through the Kavli Trust.

Paul Lewney, managing director of Kavli UK, said Castle Maclellan now employs 164 people making its awardwinning meat and vegetarian pates. The investment included expanded production capacity and improved storage facilities.

“Wesawverypositivegrowth across all our UK brands last year following recent investments,” Lewney said. “Production of our Castle Maclellan pate has increased considerably following our £5m factory expansion.

“Castle Maclellan is a major employer in the area so this is really positive news for the local community, as well as the small, local producers we work with to provide the ingredients in our range of pates. While this growth is very satisfying from a business perspective, it is the difference it will make to the work of the Kavli Group’s owner, the Kavli Trust, which is most pleasing.”

Norwegian-owned Kavli was set up in 1962 to distribute profits from the business to research, culture and humanitarian projects. This year the trust will benefit from a record £13.8m, up from £4.6m in 2015.

Castle Maclellan began in 1982 as a small operation producing tubs of pate from the back of a small delicatessen. It expanded into supermarket retailing in 1987, and became part of Kavli in 1997.