STUART Hare set up Nithsdale Smokehouse after his family and friends encouraged him there was a gap in the market for his smoked products. He uses traditional methods to create dry cured smoked Pork loins, a range of Jerky and custom-made Whisky cask BBQs and smokers.
Name: Stuart Hare
Age: 46
Position: Founder
WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?
Nithsdale Smokehouse
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Nithsdale Valley, Dumfries and Galloway.
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WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I GREW up in Dunblane in Scotland was always cycling, hiking, fishing and camping. Lots of food was perishable and there was no food that would last that you could take with you. This was before the internet so this kind of food was less accessible.
I joined the forces and left in 2016 because nowhere was really home for me. In the forces I had been smoking and curing food for 20 years.
I saw a gap in the UK for making jerky in this style – no commercial chemicals are used – I use old sherry casks. The packs are resealable and we sell to fishermen, outdoor people, bodybuilders and people who like cooking.
For years my family told me to set up this business. You have to just go for it sometimes.
The cooking was from my own experience but for the business side I went to Business Gateway in Dumfries and family who had worked in business before advised me.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
THE initial target was farmers all over Dumfries and Galloway. It’s a small business so it’s hard to build up clientele and balance work and family life. It’s for outdoors people who want a convenient long-lasting snack. We’re selling at whisky and musical festivals too.
We’re just getting ourselves known at the moment. Everyone loves it – beef jerky has a reputation of being chewy or leathery, something cowboys would eat. We’re removed from that. If you buy jerky in the supermarket it is full of chemicals. We’re a small business but we have big goals. Our main customer is outdoor people. Customers have an impact as we are putting what they say into the product.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
THE big thing is that it is all produced in Scotland. We use smoking from an independent whisky bottle. It’s something completely different.
We’re different in what we do. Since we’re called Nithsdale Smokehouse people expect a house when they come to visit but it’s just a huge pile of whisky barrels smoking away.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
THE feeling of being my own boss to a degree – it’s my first time working for myself.
You decide when you work but that means mistakes do happen which is the downside.
I love meeting new people and I’m hoping to go to the Highlands for a country festival this year.
I went to Germany when I was eight and came back to Scotland when I was 14. I lived in Perthshire. Scotland marries up well with what we’re trying to do. The hardest part is deciding where to live – where is home? We have amazing food up here and tourism really is growing.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
IT gets to a point where you decide if it’s a hobby or something more. We want a purpose-built building, we want barrels and more of them. It ties in with whisky. We want to upscale our production in a purpose-built location using traditional methods. I want the product to be in outdoor shops. We will always keep our headquarters in Scotland. If we moved anywhere else the business wouldn’t be what it is. We sell Aberdeen Angus beef – that’s what people really comment on. There’s a Saltire on the bag. We’re really proud of what we do – it’s a great product and we want people to know about it. There are huge brands that make jerky in the UK but there’s a gap for jerky with Scottish beef made in Scotland – that’s the message we want out there. It’s tricky to do everything. My wife helps with the admin side. Hopefully at the end of the year we can employ someone to do social media – I spend too much time on it.
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