Holiday Homecoming Marks A New Career At Arran Dairy

Five years ago John Anderson started working at Arran Dairies as a delivery driver. A former engineer living and working in Glasgow, after a substantial windfall he decided to take some time out from work and head back home to Arran.

John explains “When I had the windfall I decided that it was time to take some time off from the engineering business and head back home to the peace and tranquillity of Arran. My parents and I had moved to the island when I was ten and I have always loved the area’s magical atmosphere, beautiful scenery and temperate climate.”

Although John’s trip back to Arran had intended to be a holiday, five years on he is still relishing island life.

“When I went back across to the island I had only intended to stay for a holiday but now five years on I’m still here. I had been friends with the owners of Arran Dairies for a long time and when they mentioned that they were short of a delivery driver I suggested that I could give it a go.

“I started off delivering ice-cream, milk and catering supplies all over the island, Arran Dairies supplies many of the local restaurants, shops and cafes and also across the UK through the Taste of Arran, an initiative which brings together 11 of Arran’s premier food and drink producers.

“After three years doing the deliveries I was given the opportunity to get involved in the production side and working with the dairy officer I learned all about how the factory runs and the procedures and processes involved in making the ice-cream.

“After going through training and working closely with the dairy officers I moved up to my current role as production manager. In this role I am responsible for everything from monitoring stock levels and making up production plans to setting up the machines and making the ice-cream.

“In production I am also involved in the technical side of the business, so my background in engineering has been put to full use, doing all of the maintenance and repairs on the machines to ensure that the production runs efficiently. As my role involves so many different aspects no two days are ever the same!”

Arran Dairies was established 29 years ago and is a small family run business; John explains that working for a family run firm is a big change from his time in engineering. “Going from working in a large city based operation where you have multi-million pound contracts to returning to the island life on Arran and working in a small family firm was very different to start with, but there is a real team spirit at the factory and the staff who work here are very passionate about the products we make.

“As the ingredients we use to make Arran ice-cream is straight from three local herds and our milk is much creamier than most it gives our ice-cream a distinctive taste. The dairy cows are reared on the grasslands in the south of the island and instead of breaking down the fat globules into minute particles during the homogenisation process, we leave them whole to make the milk extra creamy.”

John continues, “At Arran Dairies we can make up to 400 litres of ice-cream per day and 100 litres of fresh double cream. We have to ensure that the production process runs like clockwork and that is where good organisation, planning and teamwork come into play. The team and I are committed to creating quality products at all times, so we all work hard to monitor every stage.

“The range of ice-creams we make at the factory is increasing. We have a base mix we call traditional which is made using our milk and to this we add a vast range of flavours. We are always experimenting with different flavours. This is a part of my job that I really enjoy, coming up with different ice-creams gives me creative free reign. Some of the more unusual flavours that we have created includes pistachio and praline, ‘cranachan’ with raspberries and Wooley’s of Arran oatcakes, spiced plum and strawberry and black pepper. We also have a wide variety of sorbets including mango and passion fruit, tequila and lime and green tea and yoghurt.

“Some of our clients have approached us to create a special flavour to fit in with their own menus, so we have also made batches of tailor made flavours. We once made a black forest gateaux ice-cream for a client in Glasgow which went down exceptionally well. In my job you always have to be prepared to try some weird and wonderful concoctions but it’s certainly interesting when it comes round to the taste test!”

For more information about Arran’s food and drink log onto Visitarran.com.