Ayrshire factory boss crowned a rural hero

Feb 20 2009 by Lizzie Struthers, Irvine Herald

A CROSSHOUSE businessman has been named a rural hero for being top of his game.

Craig Stevenson owns and runs Scotland’s largest game meat supplier Braehead Foods Limited, based at a factory in the Moorfield industrial estate in Kilmarnock.

The 48-year-old won the Rural Hero title at the Scottish Countryside Alliance (SCA) awards held at Holyrood in Edinburgh last week.

Craig was recognised as a “man on a mission” to have everyone eating and cooking wild game meat from Scotland.

In a decade, Craig has built up his company from a farm in Craufurdland Castle Estate at Fenwick earning £500,000 to a new purpose-built factory business at Crosshouse generating £6.35 million and employing more than 60 workers.

Braehead Foods source game from more than 100 estates across Scotland including venison, pheasant, partridge, grouse and rabbit. It is the only supplier in the country of Gressingham Duck. The company also sells cheese, oils, flours and chocolate.

The company supplies many of the top restaurants in Europe and includes names like TV chef Gordon Ramsay among its customers.

A modest Craig said: “It was a shock to win the award.”

He added: “I am passionate about my work. To be honest, I’m focussed on raising the profile of game as I want to sell more.”

The SCA believe Craig’s work is helping to sustain the Scottish shooting industry, worth £240 million, as well as enhancing tourism.

Craig is most proud of his new 35,000 square feet factory at Moorfield which is centrally located for his operations. The new factory has a cook school, restaurant and a shop.

Classes at the cook school, due to open next month, have been selling fast.

“Cooking at home is a real growth industry,” said Craig. “Everyone is wanting to entertain at home but do not know how to cook.”

Craig’s business acumen has previously won him prestigious awards, including the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland in 2001 and Business Insider’s Rising Star in 2005.

He will go on to compete for the British title of Rural Hero at a ceremony in the House of Lords in London on March 18.