We hae meat

We hae meat Ltd, based in Girvan, is a family farming and butchers' business, producing a range of meat products.    

The business has placed reducing the carbon emissions of their operations at the heart of their business strategy and they take a proactive triple line accounting approach reviewing human, natural and financial capital in their decision-making.   Their 5-year carbon reduction plan has clear milestones and actions, including a commitment to reduce scope 3 emissions ahead of any retailer requirements.  

There is a culture of continuous improvement, which extends to their work on sustainability. The senior team ensure that anyone in the organisation can input to ideas and improvements, through both formal and informal methods of communication. Examples of successful suggestions include the removal of single use packaging between the abattoir and the factory and the use of EV refrigerated vans.   

We hae meat collaborates with their supply chain to drive improvements across all scopes of carbon emissions.  Following a successful ‘reusable packaging’ pilot with suppliers, with the aim of reducing single use plastic packaging, the reusable packaging is now in permanent use with suppliers and the Girvan site.  They undertake proactive engagement with major retailers to reduce scope 3 emissions and engage out with their own supply chain to influence at a variety of scales, including through the Clean Growth workstream of the Ayrshire Regional Growth Deal and hosting showcase tours to share their learnings with other farmers.   

The company cut its on-site carbon emissions by 110% between 2016 and 2023, a move which has had the added benefit of safeguarding it through the challenges posed by Brexit, Covid-19 and the ongoing energy crisis.  This has been achieved through installing several energy efficient, low carbon technologies at the production site, including LED lighting, a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant and solar panels.  They have moved to plug in hybrid delivery vans, powered by the CHP plant, which has further enhanced their economic resilience.   

These energy efficiency measures have saved We hae meat £750,000 in energy costs. The CHP plant, fuelled by locally sourced wood, meets 75% of electricity demands, 100% of heating and hot water requirements, and has reduced carbon emissions by 57%.  The plug-in hybrid vans, have resulted in a 66% reduction in fuel costs.  The business has grown from a small butcher shop in Girvan, with a £100,000 annual turnover, to a nationally recognised brand with products in supermarkets across Scotland.

We hae meat has a positive impact on the local community with 40 permanent full-time jobs at the site. They engage with local schools, communities and suppliers through food pantry donations, farm and factory tours and other opportunities to share their best practices and approach to sustainability.  They’ve also 10km of access footpaths on their Dalquharran estate, providing fully accessible access to locals.