North Coast Abattoir?

The North Coast Abattoir Project feasibility study is now complete!  (with grateful thanks to the Caithness Beatrice Community Fund for their support)

The concentrated effort of the last two years suggests that:

• a micro Abattoir can be established within the former Caithness Beef and Lamb Ltd plant at Mid Keiss, Wick, KW1 4XF, to operate a private kill service for the north of the country
• with a co-located Butchery the plant could operate to meet the anticipated demand on just over a break-even basis – generating sufficient profit to replace equipment as it wears out
• it is calculated that the existence of such a plant could bring nearly £120K of additional income to the livestock producers using the services of the plant
• the study also proposes the introduction of a “chicken suite” so that small scale production of free range local chicken can reach the market
• the remaining space is available for others to operate businesses which might benefit from being at the plant
• the biggest obstacle to making this happen is the eye-watering capital cost of nearly £1.6M – all of which needs to be funded by public money….

The business case has been submitted to the Scottish Government in an application to the Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation grant scheme, and is being forward to other potential funders simultaneously.