Aldomak
Member Spotlight
From tablet and macaroons to snowballs, fudge and meringue, when it comes to crafting traditional Scottish sweet treats, few businesses have as much experience as Aldomak.
Like many of Scotland’s most famous confectionery producers, the company traces its roots back to the Italian immigrant families who arrived here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing with them recipes for delicious ice cream and desserts – and, of course, a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
First established in 1932, the Glasgow-based firm has evolved over the generations, bringing in new products and processes, but its commitment to quality and taste has never faltered – something which Director Marion MacCormick says has been a vital part of Aldomak’s longevity.
“Lots of Italians came to Scotland after the war, setting up food-based businesses, and Aldomak is part of that legacy,” she explained.
“When the family first established the business in the 1930s, they started to make and sell ice cream and other related sweet treats. Then in the 1970s, the company was passed to new owners, the Riccomini family, who decided to branch out into confectionery.
“That’s when we started introducing things like tablet and fudge as, at the time, there was a real lack of good quality sweeties available on the market. The fact that we are adaptable, and make a lot of different products, really makes us unique.”
Today, Aldomak produces a range of delicious products under its own brand names, as well as private label for retailers, including award-winning fudge, buttery, melt-in-the-mouth tablet, coconut-dusted macaroons, oat bars and bites, and hand piped meringues in the bakery. Crafted using traditional handmade methods, Marion believes another secret ingredient in Aldomak’s success has been keeping skill and heritage at the heart of its recipes since the very beginning.
Marion continued: “If you came to our factory, it’s not like you wouldn’t see machines – we pack a lot of products every day, so we do have some automation. However, when it comes to our products, we still hand pour the ingredients and mixtures into trays and onto old-school cast iron tables because we think the handmade element delivers something special. The boiling and pouring process just works better when it’s done by hand, and the people in our factory have years of experience and skill.
“Our meringues are hand-piped, too. We’re never going to have huge machines, piping away all day – instead, we have a couple of girls, with very strong hands, who pipe as many as 500 meringues in a day! The result is a very light finish, just as if you have baked it yourself.”
Although some of Aldomak’s methods may be centuries-old, its production facilities are state of the art, with a strong focus on eco-friendly initiatives and sustainable energy.
Marion said: “Our Managing Director Dario took on the business from his parents in 2001, and at the time it was located on a small site just to the side of the M8 motorway. It was a lovely little unit, but the business had grown, so it was time to move to a bigger space.
“The move was a really proud moment in our history, and we are now a BRC AA graded site, with many eco-friendly initiatives, including LED lights and sensors, 70 solar panels on the roof, and six beehives surrounded by wildflowers on our waste ground. A lot of our eco-friendly initiatives started from smart business decisions – after all, our boilers need to take a lot of products to a very high temperature, using a lot of energy – but we’re also passionate about doing our bit for the environment.”
For more information about Aldomak, visit aldomak.co.uk
