by Sara Howard
PR may well be a far cry from the long lunches and champagne guzzling afternoons that many still seem to perceive but it’s fair to say that it does have its fair share of perks and incredible opportunities.
The Popcorn team were very privileged to be invited up to Aberlour in the stunning Scottish highland to spend a couple of days with Walkers Shortbread learning all about it’s fascinating heritage, meeting some of the people that make the brand what it is today and of course sampling a generous amount of Shortbread (well when in Rome!)
On arrival we were warmly greeted and given a fantastic driving tour of the picturesque Speyside which has been home to Walkers Shortbread for over a hundred years, just over an hour outside of Aberdeen and suddenly it felt as if we’d gone back in time and were surrounded by miles and miles of impeccable views from every direction – rolling hills, Highland Cattle, tiny rural hamlets and the River Spey (the second largest and fast-flowing river in Scotland)
Following our tour we arrived at Walkers Shortbread HQ which can only be described as a picture postcard – a former schoolhouse set in stunning rural grounds, there’s no doubting where you are as you’re immediately greeted with its distinctive tartan and the most incredible enormous tartan elephant (it’s a long story!)
After sampling some of their Ecclefechan Tarts – a traditional Scottish delicacy combining buttery shortbread pastry and filled with a luscious confection of juicy vine fruits and almonds, it was time for a fascinating introduction and overview into this truly iconic brand. Founded in 1898 by twenty one year old Joseph Walker who took a loan of £50 to start up a small bakery (which is still there today in the village of Aberlour) Joseph’s shortbread recipe soon became renowned and over a hundred years later Walkers Shortbread is still privately owned and run by his Great Grandchildren and remains purveyor of the world’s finest shortbread – an modest accomplishment to say the least.
As part of our time up there we were also very privileged to meet Jim Walker who together with his brother Joseph, run their Great Grandfather’s company – it really was a true pleasure to meet him and could see exactly how this company has become the success it is today with such modesty and graciousness as well as of course the shortbread recipe which remains to this day exactly the same as Joseph’s over a Century ago.
Having dreamt of Shortbread for most of the night it was finally time to quite literally see where the magic happens as we embarked on a tour of one of the four Walkers Shortbread bakeries – there we were met by Kevin, the Factory Manager who has been with the company for over forty years. After changing into the necessary attire (not quite our usual look but a necessity) we stepped into what I can only describe as the best smelling facility I have ever had the pleasure of being in. A Willy Wonka haven to Shortbread, it really was a gastronomical delight to witness first hand just how it’s all made and the sheer quantity of shortbread produced on a daily basis– I would of course love to disclose more but a PR never reveals secrets. Suffice to say it was one of the most interesting experiences in my PR career to date.
After a while of meeting and speaking to a number of the employees it was time to embark on our journey home but not before a quick stop off at the Glenfiddich Whisky Distillery where we took a fantastic hours tour learning all about another incredibly impressive family run business founded in 1886 – to this day Glenfiddich is the world’s most awarded single malt scotch whiskey! An absolute must do if you are ever in the area and a truly phenomenal heritage of determination, craftsmanship and dedication.
And just in case your appetite hasn’t been whetted enough here’s a few fast facts that we learnt…
- Shortbread was ‘born’ in Scotland and was first made as a biscuit bread dessert
- Shortbread is not a cake nor a biscuit – it’s a special confection unique to Scotland
- Walkers Shortbread is exported to over 95 countries worldwide and is all made in Speyside, Scotland
- The iconic logo displayed on all packs of Walkers Shortbread is a famous portrait of Bonnie Prince Charles and Flora MacDonald – deemed as one of the most romantic moments in Scotland’s history
- Walkers Shortbread is the only brand in the world to make ‘Highlanders’
- Walkers Shortbread make over 80 different products – and it’s not just about the different shapes – each sku is made using varying amounts of ingredients
- Walkers Shortbread only uses 4 ingredients as is to this day the same recipe Joseph Walker developed over a hundred years ago