Sir Jim Walker: 'Product and People' at heart of £164 million family shortbread business
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AN UNSWERVING commitment to quality underpins the success of the Walker's shortbread family story.
That philosophy and an "absolutely fantastic workforce", according to Sir Jim Walker, are the key ingredients which have taken the business from a small village bakery to an iconic brand worldwide.
Founded more than 125 years ago by one man with a dream and a passion for baking, Joseph Walker, the Aberlour-based firm now employs 1400 people across six factories in Speyside and Elgin.
The fourth generation of the Walker family are now at the helm – Joe' son Nicky Walker is managing director and three of Sir Jim's children are also involved in the business – as it looks to the future.
Sir Jim, grandson of the company founder, along with his brother Joe and sister Marjorie - both sadly now passed away - took the company from a local bakery retailer to a worldwide exporter of premium shortbread and other biscuit products.
"My grandfather loved shortbread and that passed on to my father and uncle," he told an audience of business figures from Moray.
"My grandfather always believed he had the best shortbread in Scotland."
The company has not only survived the impact of two world wars, but in recent years has overcome extremely challenging trading conditions caused by Brexit, Coronavirus and the war in Ukraine.
Describing the three as the "perfect storm", Sir Jim said the last few years had been the "worst ever" in terms of exporting and buying in the raw materials essential to their business.
"The price of butter doubled in a few months and 60 per cent of the cost of our products is butter," he added.
Despite that, the business continues to grow while remaining firmly a family-owned company with its roots proudly in Aberlour.
In 2022, its turnover increased to £164 million, exporting to more than 100 markets across the world.
Walkers is synonymous with quality and among its many business relationships is supplying bespoke shortbread products to the Disney brand in America and Paris.
Sir Jim, who joined the business in 1962, was its only salesman for a period of years as he searched out opportunities for growth.
His brother Joe had started work as a baker in 1958 and sister Marjorie took on a key administration role with the firm.
Sir Jim reflected on the 125 years of the Walker's story at a special 'Audience with' event hosted by the Moray Chamber of Commerce at the Craigellachie Hotel on Thursday, December 14.
Interviewed by former BBC journalist Eleanor Bradford, he took guests on a fascinating trip through the last 62 years he has been personally involved in the world famous family brand.
His grandfather died when Jim was only 12, which saw Jim's father, also Jim and his uncle Joseph take over the business.
The real expansion worldwide came while siblings Joe, Jim and Marjorie were the three main players.
He recalled early mornings and weekends in the bakery.
"It was a grind at times," said Sir Jim, "but it was fun too. Joe was a natural baker, Marjorie was great at administration and I was sales.
"As kids we all helped in the bakery and we enjoyed it. My father would always say 'Jim, don't come into the bakery, it is far too hard'."
Jim did get accepted to study accountancy at Aberdeen but he quickly decided that was not the path for him and he joined the family business.
He said his father and uncle "deserve massive credit" for keeping the business afloat despite the impact of two world wars, when sugar and fruit were impossible to get your hands on and the business almost came to a standstill.
The advent of the big supermarkets, when bread started to be sold cheaply, saw the bakery side of Walker's start to run down and the expansion of the quality shortbread and other biscuit products go on an upward trajectory.
Word of mouth and putting in the hard miles by travelling the world to trade fairs, led to a growing export base over the years.
"In the early 70s we started to get one or two enquiries from foreign companies or businessmen but we had to supress it (exporting) the first few years. We also had enquiries from the States (USA) but we had to say 'no' because we weren't ready yet. We built up £1 million in home trade before we started to export."
Sir Jim recalled driving to Hull with his sister Marjorie in 1977 in a car loaded with shortbread products, and then getting the ferry, with their final destination Germany. It would be four years later before they started to get a real foothold in that country.
"The first lesson in export, you have to to be patient. It is like the home market but in slow motion," he said.
You can travel most places in the world and you will see Walker's products in airport departure lounges and in duty free, even on the planes as well.
It has won the Queen’s Award for Export on four occasions and was also granted the Royal Warrant for the supply of oatcakes to the Queen in 2001 and for shortbread in 2017.
You can find out King Charles' favourite Walker's product by watching our video interview with Sir Jim at the bottom of this article.
Sir Jim said the absolute commitment to quality was the mantra for the company which has seen them become that the Walker's brand has become today.
"Product and people. We are passionate about looking after the important things.
"The challenges of success are difficult in any company. A family business can be pretty unstoppable if it is going well and can be challenging if it is going wrong.
"If a family is at peace with itself, its business will prosper. That is the key to very many family businesses. It is a team effort and no-one can do it on their own."
Walker's remains "100 per cent family owned", Sir Jim told the audience, and the generation below him are now leading the way, with three of his children Alastair, Jacqui and Bryony involved in the business and his nephews Nicky and Richard (Joe's sons) both part of the company. Nicky was appointed managing director in 2022.
Alastair paid tribute to his father, who he described as modest about his own achievements.
"He did an amazing job in building relationships around the world," he told the audience.
While Sir Jim - who was knighted by The Queen in 2022 for services to the food industry – has now stepped away from day to day involvement with the company, he remains an ambassador and director.
Watch an exclusive HNM interview below with Sir Jim following the event in Craigellachie.
