Baxters Food Group Limited, also known as Baxters of Speyside or Baxters, is a food processing company, based in

Fochabers Fochabers (; gd, Fachabair or Fothabair) is a village in the Parish of Bellie, in Moray, Scotland, east of the cathedral city of Elgin and located on the east bank of the River Spey. 1,728 people live in the village, which enjoys a rich musi ...

, Scotland. It produces foods such as canned soups, canned meat products, sour pickles,

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...

anti-pasti Anti-Pasti are a British punk rock band, founded by vocalist Martin Roper and guitarist Dugi Bell in 1978, featuring Kev Nixon on drums and Will Hoon on bass guitar. Later they were joined by a second guitarist, Ollie Hoon. Their first album ...

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sa ...

fruit preserves Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the met ...

and salad and meat

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

s. Products are sold under the Baxters brand as well as a variety of brands owned, or

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

, to the group. Baxters has remained a private family company for four generations, during which time it has expanded significantly by acquiring other business within the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and internationally. Baxters holds a Royal Warrant from Her Majesty the Queen as purveyors of Scottish specialities. The company was known as W.A. Baxter & Sons Ltd. prior to 21 December 2006.

History

Origins and early to mid 20th century

Baxters was founded in 1868 by 25 year old gardener George Baxter when he borrowed £100 from family members and established a grocery shop in Fochabers, Moray. George's wife Margaret Baxter supported her husband by making jams and jellies using local fruit. In 1916, George and Margaret's son, William Baxter, purchased land from the Duke of Richmond and Gordon and with his wife,

Ethel Baxter Ethelreda Baxter (22 October 1883 – 16 August 1963) was a Scottish cook and businesswoman. She was a second generation member of the family that established the Baxters food processing company, based in Fochabers, Moray. Family life Baxter w ...

, built a factory adjacent to the

River Spey The River Spey (Scottish Gaelic: Uisge Spè) is a river in the northeast of Scotland. At it is the eighth longest river in the United Kingdom, as well as the second longest and fastest-flowing river in Scotland. It is important for salmon fishi ...

, to the east of Fochabers. The Baxters shop became known for supplying jams and jellies and began preparing their own beetroot, and selling it to other grocers. Ethel concentrated on jam making, while William promoted the business throughout Scotland. A canning machine was hired by Ethel in 1923 in order to can local fruit in syrup, such as strawberries,

raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...

and

plums A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...

, with Baxters becoming one of the first companies in Scotland to do so. Ethel started creating a variety of soups using local produce in 1929, the first being ''Royal Game'' using

venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, ...

from Upper Speyside. The packaging artwork features a derivative of the painting '' The Monarch of the Glen'', an oil-on-canvas painting of a

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of we ...

stag completed in 1851 by the English painter

Sir Edwin Landseer Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (7 March 1802 – 1 October 1873) was an English painter and sculptor, well known for his paintings of animals – particularly horses, dogs, and stags. However, his best-known works are the lion sculptures at the bas ...

. Before long the Baxter family were supplying upmarket department stores in London such as Harrods and

Fortnum & Mason Fortnum & Mason (colloquially often shortened to just Fortnum's) is an upmarket department store in Piccadilly, London, with additional stores at The Royal Exchange, St Pancras railway station, Heathrow Airport in London and K11 Musea In Hong ...

. During the Second World War, the company survived principally by producing jam for the armed forces.

Mid to late 20th century

Ena and Gordon Baxter joined the company in 1952. Ena, an artist and cook, helped expand the range of Scottish soups on offer to include traditional Scottish recipes such as

Cock-a-leekie Cock-a-leekie soup is a Scottish soup dish consisting of leeks and peppered chicken stock, often thickened with rice, or sometimes barley. The original recipe added prunes during cooking, and traditionalists still garnish with a julienne of p ...

Scotch Broth Scotch broth is a filling soup, originating in Scotland. The principal ingredients are usually barley, stewing or braising cuts of lamb, mutton or beef, root vegetables (such as carrots, swedes, or sometimes turnips), and dried pulses (most oft ...

and Chicken Broth. In 1955, Baxters was granted royal warrants of appointment by HM Queen Elizabeth II,

The Queen Mother ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

and HM Gustav VI, King of Sweden for the manufacturer of Scottish food specialties. In the 1960s, Baxters was supplying its products internationally and in 1962 it was the first company in the United Kingdom to introduce twist-top caps to 12oz jars for preserves. By the 1980s, Baxters had become a leading premium soup brand and began promoting more exotic soup flavours. Despite the increasing size of the company, Baxters maintained an image as a "family business", with a series of advertisements showing the Baxter family heavily involved in the preparation of their products. Gordon Baxter's daughter Audrey Baxter became managing director in 1992, who along with her brother Andrew Baxter developed a range of new products. The company's other major shareholder is James Baxter, Andrew Baxter's son. Gordon Baxter died in 2013 (aged 95), and Ena Baxter in 2015 (aged 90).

21st century

In the 21st century, Baxters commenced a strategy of significant expansion by acquiring rival food manufactures in order to double in size and increase annual turnover to in excess of £100 million. Its first acquisition was in July 2001 when Garner Foods Ltd., a producer of a pickles, chutneys and salad dressings was purchased. Garners was established in 1989 and employed 40 people at its base in

Pershore Pershore is a market town in the Wychavon district in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. The town is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2011 census, the population was 7,125. The town is ...

, Worcestershire. In 2001, a new factory for the manufacturing of chilled soups was built for Baxters in

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of L ...

, North East Lincolnshire. CCL Foods PLC was purchased by Baxters in July 2003. The firm employed 50 people at its plant in

Earls Colne Earls Colne is a village in Essex, England named after the River Colne, on which it stands, and the Earls of Oxford who held the manor of Earls Colne from before 1086 to 1703. History Manor of Earls Colne In the time of Edward the Confess ...

near

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

in Essex and produces pickles and condiments under the

Mary Berry Dame Mary Rosa Alleyne Hunnings (; born 24 March 1935), known professionally as Mary Berry, is an English food writer, chef, baker and television presenter. After being encouraged in domestic science classes at school, she studied catering at ...

Peppadew Peppadew is a trademarked brand name of South African food company Peppadew International (Pty) Ltd. for a pickled version of the Juanita pepper. Peppadew International produces and markets a variety of food products under the Peppadew brand, ...

Pizza Express PizzaExpress is a British multinational restaurant group, owned by a group of bondholders. It has over 470 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 100 overseas in Europe, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, the Philippines, the Unite ...

, Olivaise and Simply Delicious brands and for supermarkets such as

Safeway Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, d ...

(now

Morrisons Wm Morrison Supermarkets, trading as Morrisons, is the fifth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. As of 2021, the company had 497 supermarkets across England, Wales and Scotland, as well as one in Gibraltar. The company is headqu ...

) and

Waitrose Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...

. CCL Foods operates as a subsidiary of Baxters and is now known as Baxters (Earls Colne) Ltd. Norman Soutar was appointed as group managing director in July 2004 and was the first non-member of the Baxter family to lead the company. Soutar had joined Baxters in 2000 as food service director and was later director of corporate strategy. His appointment as group managing director gave him operational management of the business and began a new approach to foreign markets, whereby Baxters sought to establish overseas production facilities rather than relying on

exporting International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...

goods from the United Kingdom. Baxter's first overseas takeover was in 2004 when it purchased Canada's largest

private label A private label, also called a private brand or private-label brand, is a brand owned by a company, offered by that company alongside and competing with brands from other businesses. A private-label brand is almost always offered exclusively by th ...

soup manufacturer, Soup-Experts Inc. The Quebec-based company was established in 1975, initially focusing on producing sauce before expanding into private label foods in the 1990s. Soup-Experts became part of the Baxters Canada group. Baxters launched its flagship range of premium products in 2005 with the creation of the Audrey Baxter Signature Range. The range includes

curds Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as lemon ...

, conserves, marmalades, jellies, chutneys and relishes made in small batches. Limited editions are available seasonally. In July 2006, Norman Souter left Baxters, with executive chairman Audrey Baxter adopting the role of managing director. No reason for Soutars departure was given, with many staff reportedly unaware until the matter was made public in September 2006, when newspaper reports suggested disagreement over how the firm was being run. Against a background of poor performance in 2006, with annual profits falling by more than £1 million, Baxters opted to take advantage of lower labour costs by transferring its Garners Foods pickling operation to a purpose-built factory located in

Wolsztyn Wolsztyn (german: Wollstein) is a town in western Poland, on the western edge of Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seat of Wolsztyn County, and of the smaller administrative district of Gmina Wolsztyn. Geography The town is situated within ...

, Poland. As a result, Garner's factory in Pershore was closed in 2007 with the loss of 23 jobs. Baxters continues to use the Garners brand. Baxters Food Australia Pty Ltd. was established in 2006 to act as an in-country customer service division for Baxter's growing

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

market. In April 2008, Baxters acquired Australian food processor Sole Pio Pty, a family company established in 1994 and based in

Campbellfield Campbellfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Campbellfield recorded a population of 4,977 at the 2021 census. History Ca ...

, Melbourne, Victoria. Sole Pio specialised in supplying the catering sector with marinated and flame-grilled vegetables,

pesto Pesto () is a sauce that traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano (also known as Parmesan cheese) or Pecorino Sardo (cheese made from sheep's milk), a ...

s, and tapenades, under the Bamboleo and Argents Hill brands, both of which Baxters continues to use. Baxters bought Australian firm Andrews Food Distributors in 2010. In an effort to increase Baxter's market share in the Australian retail market, Jensen's Choice Foods was purchased in early 2013. Operating from Huntingdale in Melbourne, Jensen's was founded in 1984 and its product range includes pasta sauces, salsa dips, wet spices, passata, fruit spreads sold under the Jensen's Organic brand and

cookie dough Cookie dough is an un-cooked blend of cookie ingredients. Cookie dough is normally intended to be baked into individual cookies before eating, however edible cookie dough is made to be eaten as is, and usually is made without eggs to make it safer ...

under the Aunty Kath's brand. It also manufactures private label brands for major retailers. In February 2007, Baxters bought Manor Vinegar from their Japanese owners Mizkan Group. The company's manufacturing plant located in

Burntwood Burntwood is a former mining town and civil parish in the Lichfield District in Staffordshire, England, approximately west of Lichfield and north east of Brownhills. The town had a population of 26,049 and forms part of Lichfield distric ...

, Staffordshire was purchased after the then Office of Fair Trading (OFT) raised competition concerns with Mizkan's purchase of the vinegar and pickles division of

Premier Foods Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The group owns many well-known brands, including Mr Kipling, Ambrosia, Bird's Custard, Angel Delight, Homepride cooking sauces, Lyons, Sharwood's, Loy ...

. The sale to Baxters alleviated the OFT's concerns and reinstated pre-existing levels of competition in the manufacture and supply of vinegars in the United Kingdom. Baxters withdrew from the chilled soups sector in 2008 and sold its Grimsby factory to

Northern Foods Northern Foods is a British food manufacturer headquartered in Wakefield, England. It was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the original FTSE 100 Index. The company is credited, together with Marks & Spencer, ...

, attributing the move to strong competition in the sector and a desire to focus on more profitable products. The soups division of Canadian firm CanGro Foods was bought by Baxters in May 2007, transferring into Baxters' Canadian operation, Baxters Canada Inc. The deal saw Baxters acquire the Primo and Aylmer soup brands and more than double its revenue in Canada. In November 2011, to the surprise of some food manufacturing industry

commentators Commentator or commentators may refer to: * Commentator (historical) or Postglossator, a member of a European legal school that arose in France in the fourteenth century * Commentator (horse) (foaled 2001), American Thoroughbred racehorse * The Co ...

, the company acquired the

Fray Bentos Fray Bentos () is the capital city of the Río Negro Department, in south-western Uruguay, at the Argentina-Uruguay border, near the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú. Its port on the Uruguay River is one of the nation's most important harbours. ...

range of pies and other canned meat products from Princes Ltd. Princes were forced to sell the brand on competition grounds having acquired it from Premier Foods as part of the purchase of Premier's canned food division. By January 2013, production-line equipment and the manufacturing of Fray Bentos products had been transferred from Long Sutton in Lincolnshire to the Baxters premises in Fochabers. Of the 125 new staff recruited as part of the expansion, 11 transferred from Long Sutton, which according to Baxters helped ensure a smooth transition between the two sites. The production line is accommodated in a two-storey extension to the Fochabers factory and initial production levels were 67,000 tinned pies per week. Fray Bentos was named after the town of

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

, from which it originally imported meat into the UK. Fray Bentos was bought by Campbell's in 1993 and sold on to Premier Foods as part of the sale of the US food group's UK assets in 2006. Since the acquisition, Baxters has introduced new products under the Fray Bentos brand, such as soups in August 2012 and instant hot meals (Fray Bentos Hunger Busters) in June 2014. In 2014, Baxters bought Wornick Foods, a military rations manufacturer in the USA. In January 2018, Baxters moved its headquarters to Edinburgh, though Audrey Baxter described Fochabers as remaining as the company's “spiritual home”. Choosing to focus on US, European and Australian markets, Baxters sold its Canadian businesses, Baxters Canada Inc, in 2018.

Today

Inflatable Nessie, at the Loch Ness Marathon finish

Baxters has been the main sponsor of the annual Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running since 2002. The event takes place in and around Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, around 40 miles to the west of Baxter's Fochabers headquarters. In late 2020, Baxters expanded its US operations by acquiring Truitt Bros, a contract manufacturer of shelf-stable, thermally processed foods, with 500 employees in Kentucky and Oregon. Baxters was declared number six in the ''Scottish Grocer'' magazine's Scottish Brand Review for 2020.

Brands and products

Alongside Baxter's own brand products, other products are sold under a variety of brands owned by, or

to, the group.

Baxters Food Group

Audrey Baxter Signature Range * Chutneys * Conserves and Honeys * Curds * Jellies * Marmalades * Relishes Baxters * Soup Ranges ** Baxters Chef's Selections ** Baxters Favourites ** Baxters Hearty ** Baxters Vegetarian * Condiments ** Baxters Beetroots ** Baxters Chutneys ** Baxters Deli Toppers ** Baxters Jams and Marmalades ** Baxters Onions ** Baxters Traditional Condiments * Juice ** Baxters Beetroot Juice * Ready Meals ** Baxters Meal Pots Fray Bentos * Canned Foods ** Fray Bentos Pies ** Fray Bentos Deep Fill Pies ** Fray Bentos Meatballs ** Fray Bentos Meaty Puds ** Fray Bentos Puddings * Ready Meals ** Fray Bentos Hunger Busters Garners * Garners Pickles * Garners Chutneys Jack Daniels * Jack Daniels BBQ Sauces Manor Vinegar * Vinegar Mary Berry * Chutneys * Salad Dressings * Sauces and Condiments Peppadew * Piquanté Peppers * Roasted Red Peppers Pizza Express * Condiments Simply Delicious * Simply Delicious Sauces * Simply Delicious Peppers

Baxters Food Australia Pty Ltd.

Premises

Current

Manufacturing Sites

* Fochabers, Moray, Scotland - The company's main manufacturing site is where it produces canned soups, jars of beetroot,

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

s and preserves. Around 700 staff are employed at this location. * Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex, England - Manufactures organic and non-organic condiments, mayonnaises, sauces, dressings, mustards and dips under the Simply Delicious brand. * Wolsztyn, Poland - A 4,000 square metre purpose built factory constructed in 2007 to allow the onion pickling operation to transfer from Pershore, Worcestershire. Manufactures Garners range of pickled products. Baxter's Visitor Centre - geograph

Retail and restaurant premises

*Highland Village Visitor Centre, Fochabers, Moray, Scotland - Located adjacent to the Fochabers headquarters and manufacturing site the Highland Village in centred around George Baxter's original shop and includes an exhibition, restaurants, Mrs Baxter's Cook Shop selling cooking and kitchen items, Coat and Swagger shop selling clothing and the Baxters Gift Shop. It received over 200,000 visitors per annum. After being temporarily shut down on December 24, 2020 due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

, the complex was confirmed to be permanently closed in February, 2021. * Home Farm,

Kelty Kelty (Scottish Gaelic: Cailtidh) is a former coal mining village located in Fife, Scotland. Lying in the heart of the old mining heartlands of Fife, it is situated on the Fife/Kinross-shire boundary and has a population of around 6,000 r ...

, Fife, Scotland - Shop and coffee shop opened in 2008.

Former

* Pershore, Worcestershire, England - Acquired as part of the purchase of Garners Foods in 2001. The factory was closed with the loss of 23 jobs in 2006 when production was moved to Wolsztyn, Poland. *

Aberdeen International Airport Aberdeen International Airport ( gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Obar Dheathain) is an international airport, located in the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. A total of just under 3.1 ...

- Shop opened in 2002 within landside part of the passenger terminal. Sold Baxters produce as well as Scottish themed gifts. * Eaglesgate Retail Village,

Blackford Blackford might refer to: People with the surname *Charles Minor Blackford (1833–1903), an American lawyer *Hosea Blackford, a fictional character in books by Harry Turtledove *Ian Blackford, a Scottish politician *Isaac Blackford (1786–1859), ...

, Perth and Kinross, Scotland - Shop and 250 seat restaurant opened in 2005 and functioned as Baxter's retail headquarters and distribution warehouse. Closed in February 2014 after the landlord sold the retail village forcing the closure of the Baxters premises. A suitable alternative location to operate the distribution hub from could not be found. * Dundsdale Haugh, Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland - £1million was spent transforming the vacant Selkirk Glass factory into an 8,300 square foot shop and restaurant in May 2008. Closed in February 2014 with the loss of 23 full-time and part-time jobs as a consequence of the Blackford site closing. * Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland - Lifestyle shop and 50 seat restaurant opened in October 2003. Closed in early 2014 as a consequence of the Blackford site closing. *

Saint-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe (; French: ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérég ...

, Quebec, Canada - The original Canadian company was called Les Produits Freddy. In 2002 it became SoupExperts. It specialised in

manufacturing and then expanded to make a range of Baxter's branded soups for the Canadian market. Baxters also have sales & marketing offices in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia.

Controversy

Health and safety

A member of staff at Baxter's Fochabers manufacturing plant had to have his left foot amputated on-site after getting trapped in a vegetable auger during January 2014. The victim was trapped in the machine for an hour as emergency services, including two

orthopaedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

surgeons from Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin attempted to free him. He was later flown by air ambulance to

Raigmore Hospital Raigmore Hospital ( gd, Ospadal an Rathaig Mhòir) is a health facility located in Inverness, Scotland. It serves patients from the local area as well as providing specialist services to patients from across the Highland area. It is a teaching h ...

in Inverness. Following a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation,

Elgin Sheriff Court Elgin Sheriff Court is a municipal structure in the High Street, Elgin, Moray, Scotland. The structure, which was the headquarters of Morayshire County Council and remains in use as a courthouse, is a Category B listed building. History The fi ...

heard in October 2015 that an improvised method of pushing remaining vegetables into an auger was regularly used. Baxters management were not aware that staff regularly used a ladder to climb on to the conveyor then used a

squeegee A squeegee or squilgee is a tool with a flat, smooth rubber blade, used to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat surface. It is used for cleaning and in printing. The earliest written references to squeegees date from the mid-19th cent ...

to push vegetables towards the auger. The victim was injured when his left foot slipped from the belt into the collection hopper and was pulled into the auger. Baxters was fined £60,000 for being in breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 after it was found that risk assessments in place at the time of the incident were not suitable or sufficient. Following an inspection in May 2015, Baxters was instructed by HSE to improve safety at its Fochabers manufacturing plant. HSE found that exposure to flour dust, which can lead to

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

, was not controlled satisfactorily. Measures to reduce the risk of injury to staff during the loading of meat mincers were also found to be inadequate. Baxters responded that it was working hard to rectify the matters raised. Baxters was fined £6,000 at Elgin Sheriff Court in May 2015 after admitting breaches to health and safety legislation which led to a member of staff suffering a hand injury during an accident involving a conveyor belt. The incident at the Fochabers plant was investigated by HSE after it was reported by Baxters. In September 2016, Baxters was fined £70,000 when the company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations in relation to an accident in March 2015 when an employee's hand was mutilated in a packaging machine at the company's Fochabers plant. An alarm indicating that the machine was about to start was faulty and Baxters had failed to act on an improvement notice issued by HSE twelve months earlier, which if acted upon could have prevented the incident.

Industrial relations

It was reported in October 2014 by local newspapers that staff working in the soup factory at Baxter's Fochabers plant staged a three-hour

strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

in a dispute with management about new working and pay conditions.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Companies based in Moray Food manufacturers of Scotland Food and drink companies of Scotland British Royal Warrant holders Brand name soups 1868 establishments in Scotland Food and drink companies established in 1868 Restaurants in Scotland Retail companies of Scotland British companies established in 1868 Manufacturing companies established in 1868 Condiment companies Family-owned companies of Scotland Scottish brands