Equi’s Ice Cream has opened its new £1.7m factory in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire.
The opening of the 10,000 sq ft site coincides with the business’s centenary year.
It has been designed to meet Equi’s sustainability agenda, with a bespoke water recycling system, which is claimed to save upwards of 16 million litres of water per year.
The factory will allow the fourth-generation family business to produce four times the volume of ice cream with a 26-strong workforce.
Equi’s Ice Cream was founded by Pietro Equi, who had emigrated to Scotland from his native Italy in 1914, when he was just 15.
Equi launched the business in Hamilton in 1922, selling ice cream inspired by the gelato he missed from home.
Today, Equi’s Ice Cream is listed in Asda, Morrisons, the Co-op and more than 300 independents across Scotland.
David Equi, Pietro’s grandson and MD of the business, said: “Now into its fourth generation in the ice cream business, my family has continued this principle of using the best quality, locally sourced ingredients and to this day we only use fresh local Scottish milk and double cream for all our ice cream, which we get from a farm just along the road.
“Our new factory allows us to take our ambitious plans for production and growth to the next level.”
Equi’s Ice Cream production manager Gary Munro said this was “a real game-changer for the ice cream industry in Scotland”.
“Our purpose-built unit has been designed to be as efficient and environmentally sustainable as possible with major upgrades in machinery. It’s unlike anything else in Scotland today.”
“In addition to a 90% drop in water usage, our steam boiler uses 66% less gas and we continue to work with suppliers who allow us to support local businesses and further reduce our food miles, including Park Farm who supply our milk from 10 miles away.”
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