Client: McCaskie’s Online Butcher

Industry: Food – Butchery

Products supplied: 

Sorbatek, Hyrdatek, Chilltek Fastfill, Bespoke store packing boxes

Background

Founded in 1935, McCaskie’s Butchers in Wemyss Bay enjoy an enviable reputation as award-winning purveyors of the finest Scottish beef, lamb and specially selected pork.

To date, McCaskie’s have won over 75 awards for their products, with the jewel in the McCaskie’s crown being their famous black pudding; the most awarded Scottish black pudding since records began.

McCaskie’s is now a third-generation family-run business, with Director Nigel Ovens maintaining the business’ historic passion for securing the highest quality meats available. McCaskie’s products are “reared with passion, matured to perfection and prepared with pride” shares  Nigel, evidence of which is plain to see through McCaskie’s reputation across Scotland.

E-commerce – Extending the McCaskie’s customer-base

In recent years an e-commerce store launch has taken McCaskie’s from a locally renowned butcher to a nationally recognised brand, with customers from all over the UK. The pandemic in 2020 further accelerated McCaskie’s e-commerce growth and has since become a major sales channel for the business.

10 years ago, when seeking a chilled packaging solution to support home deliveries via the courier network, Nigel trialled many options available on the market. When considering factors such as cost, convenience, ethics and recyclability, Nigel selected Sorbafreeze as his chilled packaging supplier.

Initially, Nigel purchased Sorbatek Non-Hydrated Ice Packs, selected due to their space saving and cost-saving nature. These were used alongside traditional poly-boxes to ship orders direct to customers.

However, due to successful trials, McCaskie’s now also use best-selling Fastfill boxes from Sorbafreeze. Foil-lined, with a convenient pop-open-and-pack design,  the Fastfill boxes speed up Nigel’s packing times whilst simultaneously offering up to 48 hours of chilled temperature retention in transit.

In collaboration with the Sorbafreeze design team, Nigel was also able to devise a new bespoke packaging range for his products, including unique lasagne and pie boxes. Our structural designers worked with Nigel to devise a box bespoke to the needs of his production line, building in convenience for his team.

More recently, Nigel worked with the Sorbafreeze ’s graphic designers on a packaging re-brand, opting for a rustic kraft box to reflect the long-standing reputation and eco-conscious values of McCaskie’s.

Nigel said “I am delighted with the service I have received from Sorbafreeze over the years. Having worked with Michelle and the team for over 10 years now, I am confident that Sorbafreeze is the best chilled packaging supplier on the market. I have really enjoyed working with the design team on the new packaging ranges and found this to be a really straight-forward process as always, with brilliant results.”

When looking to the future, McCaskie’s have many exciting projects in the pipeline, including continued focus on retail growth and development of a new high quality ready meal range.

Sorbafreeze Business Unit Director Michelle Ottolini commented that “We have enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with McCaskie’s, and are delighted to have remained Nigel’s chilled packaging supplier of choice for over 10 years. We relish a design challenge at Sorbafreeze, so creation of exciting new concepts – both structurally and visually– have been a joy for our team to work on. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for McCaskie’s and our on-going partnership.”

To try McCaskie’s award winning meats for yourself, please visit their online shop.

You can also follow McCaskie’s on social media!

Linkedin – McCaskie Butchers: About | LinkedIn

Twitter – McCaskie’s (@mccaskiebutcher) / Twitter

Facebook – McCaskie Butchers & Cafe | Wemyss Bay | Facebook

Instagram – McCaskie Butchers (@mccaskiebutcher) • Instagram photos and videos

Looking to extend the reach of your food business with a direct-to-consumer offering?

Get in touch with our team at solutions@sorbafreeze.com or by calling us on 01592 623523 for bespoke advice. You can also shop the entire Sorbafreeze range here.