A family owned bakery in Forres is to be awarded a grant of almost £12,000 toward the cost of implementing a 12-month marketing plan.

Macleans Bakery, established in 1978 and now employing 50 people, has been awarded the funding from Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (MBSE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network.

It will be used to help enable the company to expand and diversify into market areas such as the gift and premium food markets.  In particular Macleans has developed a premium range of biscuits called "Land of Macbeth", which come in four varieties of Crofter's Oatcakes, Ginger Perkins, Highland Crunch and Traditional Shortbread.

In conjunction with MBSE's marketing adviser, Stewart Miller, the company has developed a marketing plan to help expand the business and promote the new biscuit range.  This will include revising the company's corporate image, holding tastings at various outlets, attending new product development training course, and exhibiting at various food and trade fairs around the UK.

"Like many traditional High Street bakeries, Macleans has to compete with the multiple retailers," explained Mr Miller, "So more and more often they are having to be very creative in looking for ways to diversify.  Macleans have come up with a clear and focused approach to developing the marketing of their business and I am very pleased we are able to assist."

Lewis Maclean of Macleans Bakery, added:  "This is a tremendous boost for our business.  Producing the product is the easy part for us, it's getting them into the market place with the support of a well-founded professional marketing plan that is more difficult.  In the past the marketing of our products has been limited by a number of factors and I am delighted we are now able to take a more thorough and professional approach to this extremely important side to the business."