Famed Scottish shortbread maker tastes global success with multi-million funding package
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see products that started with my mother’s shortbread recipe being enjoyed by customers all over the world” – Bill Dean
One of Scotland’s best-known family baking businesses is enlarging its global footprint thanks to a seven-figure funding package.
Dean’s, the Huntly-based producer of shortbread, biscuits and savoury cheese bites, said it was seeing rising demand in markets including Australia, China, Japan, the US and across Europe, with consumers increasingly willing to pay more for quality ingredients and traditional recipes.
To support its next phase of growth, the firm - founded by Helen Dean in 1975 - has secured a £4.9 million funding package from Bank of Scotland comprising trade financing and an invoice finance facility. The financial support will help the business increase production capacity, develop new customer relationships and manage cash flow as it continues to grow its overseas sales.
The success of the firm has been built on Helen Dean’s original shortbread recipe, first baked in her kitchen to raise funds for the local Huntly Pipe Band. What started as a community fundraising effort quickly became a local success story. Demand soon outgrew the family home, leading to a move into a converted grocer’s shop before the company moved to its purpose-built bakery in 1992.
Huntly is strategically located on the edge of the Speyside whisky trail.
Bill Dean, managing director of Dean’s, said: “It’s incredibly rewarding to see products that started with my mother’s shortbread recipe being enjoyed by customers all over the world. Scotland has a fantastic reputation for food and drink, and shortbread remains one of the country’s most recognisable exports, valued for its tradition and craftsmanship.
“This year has been particularly special for us, celebrating 50 years of Dean’s and acquiring Duncan’s of Deeside, both important milestones that strengthen our position in the market while ensuring we remain a family-owned business rooted in the values my mother established five decades ago.”
He added: “Exports are a hugely important part of our business and represent one of our biggest opportunities for future growth and the support from Bank of Scotland will help us meet that demand while continuing to invest in our business and create jobs here in Aberdeenshire.”
Michael Thomson, relationship director at Bank of Scotland, said: “Dean’s is a fantastic Aberdeenshire success story. From Helen Dean’s kitchen in Huntly to exporting to customers around the world, the business has shown how a strong Scottish brand can succeed on the global stage.
“We’re proud to support Dean’s as it expands internationally, helping the business seize new opportunities in overseas markets while continuing to invest in its operations and people here in Scotland. It’s that ambition, resilience and commitment to quality that have helped Dean’s build a brand that resonates far beyond its home market, and we're excited to support the business in its next chapter of growth.”
Dean’s welcomed the-then Prince Charles to officially open its bakery in 1994, launched Scotland’s first visitor attraction dedicated to shortbread in 2007 and expanded its facilities to some 80,000 square feet in 2025 as sales continued to rise.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.