Latest news with #AislingMcGhee
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
The accountant who changed career to join the family bakery
Now commercial director, Aisling McGhee, tells how she came to move her focus to the bakery that has just seen its brand surge in popularity amid an expansion of the business, which is based in Glasgow. Aisling McGhee said: 'We are incredibly proud of our Scottish roots and the role we have played in helping to feed Scotland for four generations.' (Image: Story Shop) The baker was a new entrant to the "most chosen" category in the Worldpanel by Numerator's 2025 Scotland Brand Footprint rankings, second behind Irn Bru. The report reveals the ranking of shoppers' most chosen food and drink brands over the past year, with Graham's, Tunnock's, and Bells making up the top five Scottish brands. She said: "I stepped into a proper role – not something invented for me." Among her ambitions would be: "To leave a legacy for my children like the one I have the privilege to be a part of." Name: Aisling McGhee What is your business called? McGhee's Family Bakers Where is it based? Headquartered in Glasgow, with five sites across Scotland. What does it produce/do? We're a fourth-generation, family-owned bakery best-known for our morning rolls and potato scones. We also produce a wide range of confectionary products including empire biscuits, caramel shortcake, assorted tarts and other Scottish classics that have stood the test of time! To whom does it sell? We supply major supermarket chains and convenience stores across Scotland as well as wholesale and food-service customers. While our roots are firmly in Glasgow and the west, our reach is now truly national. What is its turnover? Our last filed accounts were £53.7 million – up £5.5m year-on-year. How many employees? 440 Why did you take the plunge? There were two parts to it. I was at KPMG and my time there was incredibly rewarding. It was a tremendous learning experience and I am grateful for the skills and perspective I gained in financial services, including having the opportunity to work overseas in the Toronto office for two years. However, over time I reached a natural decision point in my career where I wanted to broaden my experience and explore opportunities in other industries beyond the financial sector. Around that time, the Directors (my dad and two uncles) had decided to bring in external advisors to undertake a family governance project. They interviewed the next gen (me, my sister, my cousins) – none of us were formally in the business – and the senior generation. The conclusion was clear: if we wanted McGhee's to stay family-owned and family-run, someone from our generation had to step in. Legacy is important for Aisling McGhee. (Image: Story Shop) The timing was right. The management accountant was due to retire, so I stepped into a proper role – not something invented for me. Everything just lined up. I realised I'd never be as passionate working anywhere else. It was also a personal decision – being a twin, I've always had a competitive streak. I wanted to make the family business as good as it can be. The sense of ownership of having your name above the door makes you strive to be the best. READ MORE: What were you doing before? I was (and am) a chartered accountant. I spent seven years at KPMG, where I was an audit manager. What do you least enjoy? Working with my dad – but it's also one of the best parts. The father/daughter dynamic can be tricky: sometimes I'd do things differently, but there's still that instinct that your dad knows best. We don't always agree, but it works because we both care deeply about the business. What are your ambitions for the firm? To leave a legacy for my children like the one I have the privilege to be a part of. My two cousins and I have big shoes to fill, and we need to keep building on the growth achieved by previous generations. We're thinking about what's next beyond Scotland, and also about how to adapt to changing tastes – like the success of our sourdough rolls for health-conscious customers. What single thing would most help? More support for significant Scottish employers. There are constant demands and added costs, but little clarity or assistance – especially for businesses like ours that are on the cusp of being classed as "large" but don't typically qualify for funding. Traditional industries often get overlooked in favour of newer sectors. The government's changes to BPR tax relief has also made IHT planning for businesses like ours significantly more difficult. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? Patience is a virtue. Working in a family business is a long-term thing. I want everything now – that's my nature – but this business is more like steering an oil tanker. I've learned that progress takes time. Looking at what's been achieved in 90 years is a good reminder of that. What was your best moment? Rolling out our new packaging over the past year has been very exciting and to be recognised in the Worldpanel by Numerator report as the second most chosen Scottish brand was hugely rewarding. It showed all the investment, planning and hard work paying off. And of course any time I see someone enjoy one of our products! What was your worst moment? I'm an optimistic person, so I tend to always take any 'bad' moment as a lesson. I haven't faced the kind of challenges my dad and my uncles have faced in their long tenures in the business. There were periods when the business wasn't as successful as it is today, so in comparison, my worst moments have been minor setbacks. But I've only been here for seven years… How do you relax? Spending time with my family – although with a three-year-old and a four-year-old it's not always relaxing! Running is my real switch-off; I try to get out three times a week, block everything out, and think.
Glasgow Times
10-08-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
McGhee's ranked second most chosen food brand in Scotland
McGhee's, a fourth-generation family bakery, made its first appearance in this category in the 2025 Scotland Brand Footprint rankings by Worldpanel by Numerator, coming in behind Irn Bru. The baker has become increasingly popular beyond its roots in the west of Scotland, with sales of pre-packed rolls growing by 42% in the last six months compared to the same period last year. Read more: Rangers make one change to squad for Viktoria Plzen clash The report, which ranks the most chosen food and drink brands of the past year, highlighted the strong sales of McGhee's soft white rolls and potato scones as major contributors to this growth. Overall, McGhee's was placed 13th among all fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands in Scotland. The bakery was the third most chosen bakery brand, behind Warburtons and Hovis, with a brand penetration of 50.8%. On average, shoppers purchase McGhee's products nearly 11 times a year. McGhee's has been able to triple the volume of its signature roll sales due to recent investments in plant, equipment, and site expansion. The bakery is responsible for supplying a significant share of Scotland's bread rolls, with around half being sold through supermarket retailers and independent convenience stores. Aisling McGhee, commercial director at McGhee's, said: "We are incredibly proud of our Scottish roots and the role we have played in helping to feed Scotland for four generations. "Being included among the most popular Scottish brands – and among the top 20 brands across all categories – is an incredible achievement and testament to the strategy we have put in place in recent years." The bakery is now planning a brand refresh ahead of its 90th anniversary next year, and hopes this will further drive its success. McGhee's customer favourites, including empire biscuits, caramel shortcake, assorted tarts, and pineapple and raspberry tarts, all continue to have strong demand. The full rankings are based on data collected over 52 weeks ending in October 2024.
Scotsman
04-08-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Fourth-generation baker is Scotland's second ‘most chosen' brand after iconic Irn-Bru
'We are incredibly proud of our Scottish roots and the role we have played in helping to feed Scotland for four generations' – Aisling McGhee Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A fourth-generation, family-owned bakery business has seen its brand surge in popularity as it expands beyond its west-of-Scotland heartland. Glasgow-based McGhee's has made it as a new entrant to the 'most chosen' category in the Worldpanel by Numerator's 2025 Scotland Brand Footprint rankings, placing it second behind iconic soft drink Irn-Bru. The report reveals the ranking of shoppers' most chosen food and drink brands over the past year, with Graham's The Family Dairy, Tunnock's, and Bells accounting for the other top Scottish names. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Among bakery brands, McGhee's ranks third most chosen in Scotland, behind industry giants Warburtons and Hovis. The Worldpanel by Numerator report highlighted strong sales of soft white rolls and potato scones among the products driving growth at McGhee's. Aisling McGhee, commercial director at Glasgow-based bakery business McGhee's. In recent years, continued investment in plant, equipment and site expansion has enabled the firm to significantly increase production capacity, helping sales of its signature rolls to triple in volume. Alongside its rolls, customer favourites such as empire biscuits, caramel shortcake, assorted tarts, as well as pineapple and raspberry tarts, continue to see strong demand. The growth comes as McGhee's embarks on an ambitious brand refresh ahead of the bakery's 90th anniversary next year. Aisling McGhee, commercial director at McGhee's, said: 'We are incredibly proud of our Scottish roots and the role we have played in helping to feed Scotland for four generations. Being included among the most popular Scottish brands - and among the top 20 brands across all categories - is an incredible achievement and testament to the strategy we have put in place in recent years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are extremely proud of the team who have played such an important role in making this happen, and we have more to come - both in Scotland and beyond - built on the significant investments we have made in the business and the fresh new brand we are rolling out ahead of our anniversary in 2026.' Lesley Ann Gray, strategic insight director at Worldpanel by Numerator, added: 'For brands, the chances of finding a place in household cupboards and fridges around the world are as uncertain as a coin toss, with inflation and geopolitical pressures heavily influencing how people shop and which products they choose.
