Pictures: 1400 flock to Walker’s Shortbread 125th anniversary event
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WALKER'S Shortbread celebrated its 125th anniversary by hosting a birthday bash with fun, games and entertainment for employees and families – with a guest appearance from comedian Iain Stirling.
The family-owned company marked the impressive milestone on Saturday, June 17, by hosting a get together in the grounds of its headquarters in Aberlour, as a thank you to its employees – some of whom have worked at Walker’s for over 40 years.
More than 1400 people were in attendance on the day.
The event was opened by the Gordonstoun School Pipe Band who piped guests into the Aberlour House grounds.
There was a host of entertainment for all ages, including circus performers, a magician, a face painter, fire jugglers and a caricaturist, as well as activities such as five a-side football, giant inflatable bubbles and a sports day themed shortbread and spoon race.
Local musicians Chris Grant and Scott Ramsey also took to the stage during the day, as well as dancers from the Alison Gordon School of Dance.
The afternoon was hosted by comedian and TV host Iain Stirling who treated guests to some stand-up comedy in the evening.
In addition, crowds were entertained with Ceilidh dancing, before enjoying an ABBA tribute act and a DJ, which kept the crowd dancing until the close.
The day marked over a century of Walker’s baking Scotland’s top shortbread.
The family-run business dates to 1898 when its founder, Joseph Walker, opened a bakery in Torphins, Aberdeenshire.
He moved to Aberlour a few years later and the village remains home to Walker’s Shortbread to this day.
The original recipes have been handed down over five generations and are still used today, along with specialised baking techniques.
Walker’s currently employs over 1250 people across its sites in Aberdeen and Elgin, offering a wide range of career opportunities, from sales and marketing to production and HR.
It’s one of the biggest employers in Speyside, creating opportunities for the local community over the decades.
Its longest-serving employee, who is not a member of the Walker’s family, will soon mark 50 years of service with the company.
Nicky Walker, managing director at Walker’s Shortbread, said: “We are extremely proud to celebrate 125 years of Walker’s Shortbread, and we felt it was important to mark this milestone with an event which said thank you to all our wonderful staff, both at present and from the past.
“We felt the day was very well attended and appreciated, and we’re glad to have been able to enjoy it along with so many of our colleagues, many of whom have been a part of the company for 20 plus years and whose relatives also worked at Walker’s.
“Our employees are paramount to Walker’s success, and as a family-owned business, it was both fitting and a pleasure, to be able to celebrate along with them and their families too.
"We look forward to many more years of working in beautiful Speyside, and baking ‘Scotland’s Finest’.”
For more information about Walker’s Shortbread’s history, click here.
