Rural Community Gateway

By Carole Inglis

What’s your enterprise and where is it based?

I set up Isle of Skye Fudge Company in 2002, from home, which is just south of Dunvegan. Our house looks out over a sea loch and we get some amazing sunsets, which feature on all the packaging and marketing materials. I started with one domestic cooker in a utility room, expanded into the kitchen of our self-catering unit, and we are now in the process of converting the byre!

Why did you decide to start the business? How many people are involved?

I started the business while working as a food and drink development manager and saw a gap in the market for a quality Skye branded tablet. It was the classic ‘if I don’t do this, someone else will’ moment.

I enjoy designing things and building websites, so it was fun to develop a product for myself rather than advising others how to go about it! I only ever planned to supply the local chocolate shop but, five years on, I have three part-timers helping out. We make for Audrey Baxter’s Specially Selected range, supply Dunvegan Castle and Eilean Donan Visitor Centre, as well as 15 other local outlets, wedding favours and mail order.

Where did you go for help and advice?

I approached my local enterprise company, HIE Skye and Wester Ross, who were very helpful. They arranged advice on what I needed to do to comply with weights and measures, environmental health regulations, labelling and HACCP.

Did you get any financial support or funding?

I didn’t have any money to put into the business, so I continued to work full-time until recently. It’s a bit risky giving up employment when you live in a rural area, as you can’t just go out and find a job in the way that you can in the city.

Personally, I felt more comfortable growing the business slowly but surely, and Skye Fudge now supports me in part-time employment. Also, there’s perhaps a greater sense of achievement in knowing that you have done it all by yourself.

What’s been your greatest achievement so far?

When Audrey Baxter was sourcing a Scottish tablet for her new range, she took in samples from 18 different producers across Scotland. Skye Fudge, seemingly, won by ‘a country mile’.

We were also delighted to get ministerial approval for Skye Fudge, when Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s Minister for Food and Rural Affairs undertook to eat Scottish produce for a week at the end of May.

His online diary says, "Over the weekend, to satisfy my sweet tooth, I have been dipping into a box of delicious Scottish tablet made by the Isle of Skye Fudge Company." You can’t hope for better than that!

If you were to do it again, would you do anything differently?

I really don’t think so. I have been extremely lucky in having found some great people to work with, two of whom have been with me more or less from the start. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but a generally ‘risk averse’ approach worked for me. I think we understand that being cautious is completely different from not taking a good opportunity when it presents itself.

What are your top three tips for other budding entrepreneurs?

1. Don’t forget the paperwork! There’s no point in giving your all to your business if you don’t keep on top of the accounts.
2. Always run your business with a smile, even on the telephone, and accept that a complaint is a gift.
3. Don’t run before you can walk. It might feel good to enter and win awards but can you still deliver a first class product and service?

Find out more here

Isle of Skye Fudge Company website

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