Walker's Shortbread
 | |
 Walker's Shortbread biscuits | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Baked goods |
| Founded | 1898 in Torphins, Scotland |
| Founder | Joseph Walker |
| Headquarters | Aberlour, Scotland |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Shortbread, biscuits, cookies, and crackers |
| Website | walkersshortbread |
Walker's Shortbread Ltd. (formerly Walkers) is a Scottish manufacturer of shortbread, biscuits, cookies, and 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,[1][2] and employs over 1,200 people.[3] It is sold in tartan packaging all over the world.[4]
History[edit]
The business was founded by Joseph Walker in the village of Aberlour, Speyside, in 1898. It quickly started producing shortbread.[5] The company started producing oaten biscuits for Duchy Originals in 1992, having been approached the previous year.[6]
The profits of Walker's Shortbread, which is also still owned and managed by the Walker family,[7] were diminished by a global increase in the price of butter in 2018 by around 50%[8] due to supply shortages and demand increases, resulting in the company seeing a 60% drop in operating profit.[9]
The company rebranded, in 2020, changing its name to Walker's Shortbread Ltd.[10] It announced it was exploring how to create a vegan version of the butter-based biscuit in 2024.[11]
Locations[edit]
Walker's Shortbread have their headquarters at Aberlour House in Aberlour and have a production site in Elgin.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Reid, Scott (7 October 2020). "Iconic shortbread maker Walker's slims product range and pays back £1.3m to government". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Williams, Martin. "Complaints over Walkers' shortbread sold under a Union Flag". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Banks, Alex (3 October 2023). "Profits plunge at Walker's Shortbread takes shine off higher sales". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Searle, Maddy (6 October 2017). "All you need to know about Walker's Shortbread". The Scotsman. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ Kay, Emma (2020). A History of British Baking: From Blood Bread to Bake-off. Pen & Sword. pp. 113–114.
- ^ McCrea, Diane (2007). The Handbook of Organic and Fair Trade Food Marketing. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 176–180. ISBN 9780470996089.
- ^ Bindrim, Kira (2 July 2007). "Walkers Shortbread names new CEO". NewYorkBusiness.com. Crain Communications. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ^ Williams-Grut, Oscar. "The butter market is going crazy". Business Insider. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Shortbread firm hit by butter price surge". BBC News. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ Symon, Ken (7 October 2020). "Walker's Shortbread returns furlough payments as it reports increased turnover and marginally reduced profits". Business Insider. Insider Publications. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ Woolfson, Daniel (3 March 2023). "Royal shortbread maker poised to go vegan". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ^ "History & Heritage". WalkersShortbread.com. 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023. [self-published source]