February Meeting:
Boyd Tunnock CBE

Boyd is the the Managing Director of the iconic Scottish biscuit firm and has been described as the Willy Wonka of Tannochside.

Boyd shared with the 92 members and guests that he worked in the Tunnocks factory during the day while learning his trade as a baker which he obtained by attending night school at Hamilton Academy three times a week, where he became qualified in 1954.

Boyd did two years of national service in the Army Catering Corps. He was posted to a cookhouse in Bicester Garrison near Oxford. Within a year Boyd progressed to being corporal, and six months later on to sergeant and in charge of feeding 600. Boyd was named a CBE in the 2004 Queens Honours list after he received an MBE in 1987 .

Tunnocks has a turnover of £32 million and exports to over 30 different countries, with Saudi Arabia surprisingly being the largest importer. It was Canada who was Tunnock’s first export customer back in 1957.

Until current day, the company continues to expand, and now employs 550 members of staff. Irish supermarkets now want larger boxes which are able to contain 24 teacakes and snowballs in order to meet high customer demand.

Boyd retired almost 14 years ago from Tunnock’s at the age of 65, where he has been the managing director and majority owner of Tunnock’s and has been at the helm for 30 years since the death of his father Archie, who passed away in 1981 at the age of 86. Boyd still spends 80% of his time in the factory despite turning 80 this January.

Boyd is foremost a family man. He has three daughters: Leslie, Karen and Fiona. Karen, his middle daughter, is the only one who still works with him full-time running day-to-day business with her husband Fergus Loudon who is a sales manager.

Having six grandchildren, Boyd is confident that the Tunnock dynasty will be around for a long time to come.

Photos from the Event

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