Pickstock Telford has started construction of a £24 million-plus beef processing facility in Ecclefechan, Dumfries and Galloway, giving the business a new base from which to expand its Scottish supply chain while investing in processing capacity, technology and lower-carbon production.

For Pickstock, the new Ecclefechan facility provides the beef processor with a physical presence in one of Scotland’s major agricultural regions and an opportunity to bring more of its integrated supply-chain model closer to Scottish farmers.

Construction began on 16 September, with the project supported by a £4.7 million investment from South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE). The facility is expected to become operational in early 2029.

A stronger Scottish supply chain

One of the immediate gains for Pickstock will be greater proximity to its Scottish farming base.

The company says the Ecclefechan operation will enable it to develop longer-term relationships with Scottish farmers while retaining more of the value generated by Scottish beef within the rural economy.

That fits with Pickstock’s wider Integrated beef approach, which uses contracted farms, defined production protocols and data capture to improve consistency, traceability and sustainability across the supply chain.

Having processing infrastructure in Scotland should give Pickstock greater control over the journey from farm to processor while reducing the distances livestock need to travel. For a business supplying retailers, foodservice operators and other customers looking for consistent British beef, that closer connection between farming and processing can become an important part of its proposition.

Adding capacity for growth

The investment also gives Pickstock another platform from which to grow its processing business.

The company already operates processing facilities capable of handling up to 500 cattle a day and deboning 8,000 quarters a week, alongside retail and foodservice operations.

Ecclefechan therefore represents an expansion of its geographical footprint as well as an investment in modern processing infrastructure.

The location could allow Pickstock to build its Scottish sourcing network while creating additional capacity as volumes develop. It also gives the business an opportunity to design the operation around current processing, energy and supply-chain requirements rather than adapting an older facility.

Lower-carbon processing

Energy infrastructure is another significant element of the investment.

The new facility is planned to incorporate anaerobic digestion, combined heat and power and solar generation. These technologies are intended to provide renewable energy and improve the site’s energy resilience, while the Scottish location should reduce livestock transport distances.

For Pickstock, that creates the potential to link processing efficiency with its wider sustainability strategy.

The company has already positioned sustainability, animal welfare and resource efficiency as part of its integrated beef model. Its farming operation at Brongain Farm, for example, is being used to trial commercially viable approaches to reducing environmental impact, with the business targeting Net Zero by 2030.

Ecclefechan extends that thinking into the processing stage.

Technology built into the next phase

The facility also gives Pickstock an opportunity to invest in modern production technology as it expands.

Greg Pickstock, managing director of Pickstock Telford, said the business wants to use investment in technology and continuous improvement to build a more sustainable and resilient food supply chain.

That matters because the new site will need to support more than simply processing cattle. Pickstock’s existing model combines processing with traceability, product development, packaging solutions and supply-chain control, supported by its partnership with OSI.

The Scottish facility can therefore become another component of that wider manufacturing and supply-chain infrastructure.

Building the workforce alongside the factory

Pickstock will also gain a new skills base as the facility develops.

Around 250 jobs are expected to be supported during construction, with approximately 90 permanent positions anticipated once the facility is operational. Around 40 apprenticeship opportunities are also expected across construction and the operational phase.

For Pickstock, this provides an opportunity to establish a workforce with expertise in modern beef processing while developing technical skills locally.

The company says the intention is to retain traditional knowledge while developing modern production and technical capabilities at Ecclefechan.

A Scottish platform for Pickstock’s next stage

The Ecclefechan investment consequently gives Pickstock several things at once: a stronger connection with Scottish livestock producers, additional processing infrastructure, shorter livestock transport routes, new energy-generation capability and a new base for developing its workforce.

With the facility not expected to open until early 2029, the immediate significance is the creation of that platform rather than any immediate increase in production.

But as construction progresses, the project should provide a useful window into how Pickstock intends to scale its integrated beef model – combining farming relationships, processing technology, traceability, energy efficiency and customer requirements within a larger British beef supply chain.