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A major upgrade will shortly get underway at the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group’s processing facility in Bellshill that will greatly enhance production efficiency and capacity.
The vast bulk of the new £110,000 investment is earmarked for a latest technology shellfish steam cooker along with the creation of a new 175sqm chill room to complement existing cold storage facilities.
The new cooker and cold storage will result in significant improvement in the production flows and capacity in the processing facility and will help build upon a strong start to the year for Scottish Shellfish.
The modernisation programme also includes the installation of a new barcode verification and electronic interchange system, and advance shipping notification module. Forty per cent of the overall capital expenditure has been supported by a grant from the European Fisheries Fund.
Stephen Cameron, managing director of Scottish Shellfish, said: “This new investment is the latest in a rolling series of upgrades to our processing infrastructure that will maintain our position as the UK’s biggest supplier of quality Scottish mussels and oysters. Product innovation and investment such as this is vital if we are to continue to see growth and develop new markets in both the UK and abroad.
“Despite a very difficult economic climate, we have enjoyed a good start to the year with there being a strong level of demand from customers. The health benefits and versatility of shellfish in the kitchen is a message that the consumer seems to have taken onboard.”
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