DUNDEE-based food firm, Highland Game, has announced an investment of over £150,000 implementing a set of stringent measures following the outbreak of COVID-19 ensuring safety and security for all employees.
The UK’s largest producer of venison employing over 80 people, the company has also created a minimum of 15 new jobs as new shift patterns and social distancing measures have resulted in fewer people able to work simultaneously.
Euan Ross, Highland Game sales & marketing manager, said: “Due to COVID-19, and the shut-down of hotels and restaurants across Europe, we have lost a large tranche of our market.
“Our focus is now entirely on retail where we continue to see year on year growth in excess of 15%. Our predictions in both food service and export have been slashed to 25% of what we reported last season.
“Under the government restrictions set out by COVID-19, the cost of doing business has skyrocketed and while our overall sales will be impacted, we made the decision to reduce our efficiency as safeguarding our staff and retail business is our priority.
“Throughout the crisis, we have continued to supply without interruption meaning that all our efforts to grow with our retail partners continue as planned. Taking on an increased number of staff allows us to meet social distancing and new shift pattern requirements, ultimately increasing the number of hours required for less capacity.”
