Can you tell us a bit about your business?

We source top quality cattle from a small selection of trusted farms in the Scottish Lowlands and Borders, supplying tender, succulent and ready-to-cook beef and lamb to high-end butchers and caterers in Scotland, England and further afield.

We’re a fourth-generation family firm that is based at our plant in Wishaw. Rory Duff and his son Andrew run the company. Each morning they handpick the beef and lamb for all the day’s orders according to each customer’s specification. We ensure you get exactly what you ask for.

How has the Coronavirus crisis impacted your business so far?

It has been an extremely turbulent time for our business during the crisis. Fortunately our main market is independent high street butchers who, like us, have remained open throughout lockdown and all of us have done our best and played a small part in helping supply and feed the nation with high quality scotch beef and lamb. Keeping our staff safe during this time has been of the upmost importance and a lot of time daily is dedicated towards this with ever changing advice which needs to be implemented quickly, effectively and safely.

How has your business needed to evolve and change to operate in this environment?

Fortunately, as a meat wholesaler we have always worked to very high staff hygiene standards and numerous items of PPE are already part and parcel of the job. Social distancing and wearing of face coverings at all times in the factory is new and we have increased levels of sanitisation points across all areas. Ensuring our staff are fully trained in all the key areas of working safely during coronavirus, detailed risk assessments in place and ensuring everyone knows how and where to get tested if required.

Every year at the end of November MACDUFF 1890 host our annual carcase show and sale. This is the last one remaining that is still held in Scotland for independents. This year was meant to be our 19th annual event and it is held in very high regard being attended by some of the nation’s finest butchers, chefs and of course our producer group of farmers. It usually culminates in a large celebratory gala dinner to finish off the event in style. Sadly, we will not be able to do any of what we normally would for our show and sale this year. A farm visit then judging / auction in our factory with many usually in attendance. But as the saying goes “the show must go on” and we have been looking into collaborating with a local online auction mart to have a remote auction instead and we are even looking at investing in a WiFi system down in our factory area so that we can hopefully have remote judging via FaceTime on all the amazing scotch beef and lamb that our farmers submit to the show in the hope of becoming a prize winner or the ultimate recognition of being crowned the supreme champion! Here at MACDUFF we are just doing our best, like everyone else is, to adapt and continue to offer the top level of personal service and scotch produce to all our customers in the run up to Christmas!

Finally, how are you celebrating this Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight?

By eating and drinking as much local and top-quality produce as possible.