April Fools of a brand collab between Howie’s x Heinz. Just a joke but could it become reality…
Winner of Meat Product of the Year 2023 our Black Label Aberdeen Angus Gastro Burgers are back!!
hands up who’s excited for the return of our BBQ RANGE!!
Our limited edition Chocolate Haggis Dessert was only available in the run up to Burns 2024 and is no longer available to purchase. Sorry to disappoint.
Is it even Christmas without some Simon Howie bon bons and pigs in blankets?! We are pleased to announce our Christmas trimmings range is now go in supermarkets across Scotland!
In July 2024 we installed a second hand 2.3MW Enercon E-70 Wind Turbine to generate energy from the Scottish wind. The turbine is 69m to the hub and each blade is 35m long.
To maximise the return we see from the energy we generate we installed 2 x 450KWh batteries. 18 modules are located in the battery room near the solar array allowing us to call off the energy we need to operate overnight or when it isn’t windy.
While we wouldn’t class ourselves as an operational farm our farmlands and livestock are extremely important to us and therfore we use an all grass system with absolutely no artificial fertilisers.
Between May – August 2023 we installed a 2.3MW Solar Array in the field behind our factory in Dunning. The 3800 550-watt panels coupled with our wind turbine should generate 120% of the energy we need to operate. Any surplus will be sold back to the grid.
All the water we need on site for cleaning and wash downs is taken from our own bore hole (100m down) its pumped up and stored in tanks to be used as needed. We then have a low cost, zero carbon & wildlife friendly approach to our waste water treatment, which is an ecological alternative to conventional systems which use tankers to remove the waste material off site, where it is further processed.
As well as all the technology we have invested in recently we have also planted over 30 acres of trees on our land and will continue to invest in nature in this way.
In 2013 we installed 600 PV solar panels on the roof of our factory and warehouse to harness the energy from the Scottish sun. Over the last 10 years we have seen the benefits of streamlined processes due to more efficient energy consumption but at a scale that no longer did enough to make a significant impact on our operating costs or our environmental impact.
Our Ecological Treatment System is a habitat which supports a host of fauna and flora. Waste water gradually seeps through six different wetland cells, which are approximately 400m2 each, becoming progressively cleaner as it travels from the top cell to the bottom. Each cell supports its own habitat of bugs, frogs, birds etc.
After the last cell, the water seeps through a willow soak-away which acts as the final purification process. There is no discharge to local rivers or watercourses.
The thermal energy stores are two 12,000 litre tanks and 4 heaters that will heat the water. The thermal energy will keep the tanks hot meaning the water we need within the factory will be heated as it passes through, allowing us to stop using gas to heat the water we need for wash downs etc.
We are fortunate to have our own farmland around our factory premises and were, therefore, able to achieve planning permission for a 2.1MW Solar Array in the 11-acre South-facing field directly behind our factory. Groundwork for the 3800 x 550-watt panels started in May 2023 with the switch room and battery rooms following in June. By early August 2023, the cables had been laid and the panels were all fully installed.
We bought a secondhand 2.3MW Enercon E-70 Wind Turbine through Business in Wind which decommissioned the turbine in the Netherlands and delivered and installed it for us at the end of July 2024. The project required meticulous planning due to the tight corners and narrow streets of Dunning. While the planning application for the turbine had caused some division within the community when it came to its delivery the people of Dunning were incredibly patient and supportive with many lining the street through the night to watch the 35m blades be delivered.
As soon as the crane and bottom section of the tower were delivered on Wednesday 31st July 2024 construction of the turbine began. By the end of Thursday 1st August, the tower was fully assembled. The wind stopped the blades from being lifted into place on Friday but by breakfast time on Saturday 3rd August, the turbine was fully constructed. The speed and precision of the team were a marvel to watch and many of the local community gathered to watch their new landmark take shape also.
Not only was the delivery complicated, the process of connecting up the solar, battery and turbine is far from plug and play! Once connected various safety and speed checks are carried out and it is only after they are all approved that we are given the all-clear to start. It’s been a long process but we are absolutely delighted to have seen it all the way through to completion. Thank you to everyone involved.
Reduce our Carbon output by over 500 tonnes
Generate over 120% of the energy we need to operate
Protect ourselves and our customers from turbulent energy price inflation
Take our responsibility as polluters seriously. We must do what we can to improve things and invest in our future.
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