Walker's Shortbread: Difference between revisions

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{{AboutShort description|the Scottish shortbread and biscuit manufacturer|the British snack food company|Walkers (snack foods)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = WalkersWalker's Shortbread Ltd.
| logo = WalkersShortbreadWalkers-Shortbread-logo-Logo2021.jpgpng
| logo_size = 250px
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| logo_padding =
| image = File:Walkers Shortbread cookies.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = WalkersWalker's Shortbread cookiesbiscuits
| type = [[Private company limited by shares|Private]]
| industry = [[Baking#Commercial baking|Baked goods]]
| founded = {{start date and age|1898}} in [[Torphins]], [[Scotland]] <!-- if known: {{start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} in [[city]], [[country]] -->
| founder = Joseph Walker <!-- or: | founders = -->
| location = [[Aberlour House (building)|Aberlour House]]<br = />[[Aberlour]], Scotland
| area_served = Worldwide <!-- or: | areas_served = -->
| key_people =
| revenue = {{GBP|164 million}} (2022)<ref name=kpi>{{Cite web |url=https://www.northern-scot.co.uk/news/watch-sir-jim-walker-product-and-people-at-heart-of-164-336297 |title=Sir Jim Walker: 'Product and People' at heart of £164 million family shortbread business |date=19 December 2023 |work=[[The Northern Scot]] |last=Saunderson |first=Chris}}</ref>
| products = [[shortbread]], [[biscuit]]s, [[cookie]]s and [[cracker (food)|crackers]]
| num_employees = 1,400 (2023)<ref name=kpi />
| brands =
| products = [[shortbreadShortbread]], [[biscuit]]s, [[cookie]]s, and [[cracker (food)|crackers]]
| website = {{nowrap|{{URL|https://www.walkersshortbread.com}}}}
| brands =
| website = {{nowrap|{{URL|https://www.walkersshortbread.com}}}}
}}
'''Walker's Shortbread Ltd.''' (formerly '''Walkers''') is a Scottish manufacturer of [[shortbread]], [[biscuit]]s, [[cookie]]s, and [[Cracker (food)|crackers]]. The shortbread is baked in the [[Moray]] village of [[Aberlour]], following a recipe developed by Joseph Walker in 1898.
 
The company is one of Scotland's biggest exporters of food,<ref>{{cite news |title=Iconic shortbread maker Walker's slims product range and pays back £1.3m to government |url= https://www.scotsman.com/business/iconic-shortbread-maker-walkers-slims-product-range-and-pays-back-ps13m-to-government-2995754 |first=Scott |last=Reid |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=7 October 2020 |access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Complaints over Walkers' shortbread sold under a Union Flag |url= https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16066512.complaints-walkers-shortbread-sold-union-flag/ |first=Martin |last=Williams |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |location=Glasgow |access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref> and employs over 1,200 people.<ref name="p&j">{{cite news |title=Profits plunge at Walker's Shortbread takes shine off higher sales |url= https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/business/6206636/walkers-shortbread-profits-plunge/ |first=Alex |last=Banks |work=[[The Press and Journal]] |date=3 October 2023 |access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref> It is sold in [[tartan]] packaging all over the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=All you need to know about Walker's Shortbread |url= https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/producers/need-know-walkers-shortbread/ |first=Maddy |last=Searle |work=[[The Scotsman]] |date=6 October 2017 |access-date=18 October 2021}}</ref>
'''Walkers Shortbread''' is a [[Scotland|Scottish]] manufacturer of [[shortbread]], [[biscuit]]s, [[cookie]]s and [[cracker (food)|crackers]]. The company is Scotland's biggest exporter of food<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/business|title=Business &#124; The Scotsman|website=www.scotsman.com}}</ref> and employs over 4,000 people in 15 locations.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.englishteastore.com/walkers-shortbread-history.html|title=History of Walkers Shortbread|website=www.englishteastore.com|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref> Walkers Shortbread operates four factories in Aberlour, where the company is also headquartered, and two in nearby Elgin, Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biscuitpeople.com/magazine/post/Walkers-Shortbread|title=Walkers Shortbread|date=2017-01-11|website=Biscuit people|access-date=2020-04-02}}</ref>
 
The company's well-known shortbread is baked in the [[Moray]] village of [[Aberlour]], following a recipe developed by Joseph Walker in 1898.<ref>[http://www.walkersshortbread.com/uk/about/]{{dead link|date=June 2021}}</ref>
 
==History==
The business was founded by Joseph Walker in the village of [[Aberlour]], [[Strathspey, Scotland|Speyside]], in 1898. It quickly started producing shortbread.<ref name=":2">{{cite book |first=Emma |last=Kay |title=A History of British Baking: From Blood Bread to Bake-off |publisher=Pen & Sword |date=2020 |pages=113–114}}</ref> The company started producing oaten biscuits for [[Duchy Originals]] in 1992, having been approached the previous year.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCrea |first=Diane |title=The Handbook of Organic and Fair Trade Food Marketing |date=2007 |publisher=[[Blackwell Publishing]] |location=Oxford |isbn=9780470996089 |pages=176–180}}</ref>
{{sectstub|date=December 2020}}
The business was founded by Joseph Walker in the village of [[Torphins]], [[Aberdeenshire]], in 1898.<ref name=":0" />
 
In 2006, Walkers announced that the bakery in Aberlour would be closing and turning into a research facility for the company.<ref>[http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/85265 "Walkers Shortbread closing village bakery" - PoliticalGateway.com] 13 June 2006</ref>
 
The company has received the [[Queen's Award for Export]] Achievement three times, "the highest accolade given to British exporters."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkersshortbread.com/uk/about/history/|title=WalkersShortbread.com - History}}</ref> Walkers Shortbread is also still owned and managed by the Walker family.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bindrim|first1=Kira|title=Walkers Shortbread names new CEO|url=http://newyorkbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070702/FREE/70702015/-1/rss01&rssfeed=rss01|accessdate=8 June 2015|work=newyorkbusiness.com|publisher=Crain Communications, Inc.|date=2 July 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927070227/http://newyorkbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070702/FREE/70702015/-1/rss01&rssfeed=rss01|archivedate=27 September 2007}}</ref>
 
InThe 2018profits theof companyWalker's profitsShortbread, which is also still owned and managed by the Walker family,<ref>{{cite news |last=Bindrim |first=Kira |title=Walkers Shortbread names new CEO |url=http://newyorkbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070702/FREE/70702015/-1/rss01&rssfeed=rss01 |access-date=8 June 2015 |work=NewYorkBusiness.com |publisher=Crain Communications |date=2 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927070227/http://newyorkbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070702%2FFREE%2F70702015%2F-1%2Frss01&rssfeed=rss01 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> were diminished by a global increase in the price of butter in 2018 by around 50%<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/butter-shortage-why-prices-are-rising-and-supply-is-falling-2017-10 |title=The butter market is going crazy|last=UK |first=Oscar |last=Williams-Grut, Business Insider|websitework=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=26 March 2019-03-26}}</ref> due to global supply shortages and demand increases, resulting in the company seeing a 60% drop in operating profit. <ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-44871693 |title=Shortbread firm hit by butter price surge |date=2018-07-18 July 2018 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2019-03-26|language=en-GB March 2019}}</ref>
In 2017 Walkers Shortbread was granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment from Her Majesty The Queen for the supply of Shortbread to the Royal Household.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkersshortbread.com/blog/post/Royal_Warrant/|title=Her Majesty The Queen Grants Royal Warrant To Walkers For Shortbread|website=www.walkersshortbread.com|access-date=2019-03-26}}</ref> Walkers Oatcakes had previously received the Royal Warrant in 2002.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
 
The company rebranded, in 2020, changing its name to Walker's Shortbread Ltd.<ref>{{cite news |last=Symon |first=Ken |title=Walker's Shortbread returns furlough payments as it reports increased turnover and marginally reduced profits |url=https://www.insider.co.uk/company-results-forecasts/walkers-shortbread-returns-furlough-payments-22807332 |access-date=3 September 2021 |work=[[Business Insider]] |publisher=Insider Publications |date=7 October 2020}}</ref> It announced it was exploring how to create a [[Veganism|vegan]] version of the butter-based biscuit in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Woolfson |first=Daniel |date=3 March 2023 |title=Royal shortbread maker poised to go vegan |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/03/03/kings-shortbread-maker-poised-go-vegan/ |access-date=1 April 2023 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>
In 2018 the company's profits were diminished by a global increase in the price of butter by around 50%<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/butter-shortage-why-prices-are-rising-and-supply-is-falling-2017-10|title=The butter market is going crazy|last=UK|first=Oscar Williams-Grut, Business Insider|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-03-26}}</ref> due to global supply shortages and demand increases, resulting in the company seeing a 60% drop in operating profit. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-44871693|title=Shortbread firm hit by butter price surge|date=2018-07-18|access-date=2019-03-26|language=en-GB}}</ref>
 
==Locations==
WalkersWalker's Shortbread have their headquarters at [[Aberlour House (building)|Aberlour House]] in [[Aberlour]] and have a production site in [[Elgin, Moray|Elgin]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.walkersshortbread.com/history-heritage/ |title=History & Heritage |date=2023 |work=WalkersShortbread.com |access-date=3 December 2023}} {{Self-published source|ABOUTSELF=y|reason=Company's own website, but probably reliable enough as to basic company facts.}}</ref>
 
==See also==
*[[List of shortbread biscuits and cookies]]
*[[Scottish cuisine]]
 
==References==
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==External links==
*[https://www.walkersshortbread.com Official site]
 
[[Category:Scottish brands]]
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[[Category:Companies based in Moray]]
[[Category:Shortbread]]
[[Category:Family-owned companies of Scotland]]
[[Category:Aberlour]]