Rowan Glen
The Planure site in which Rowan Glen operates today has been producing yoghurt for over 30 years. In 2022, the business overcame closure to relaunch as an independent, family-run producer rooted in Dumfries and Galloway.
In this Q&A, Rowan Glen shares the story behind their restart, the people who made it possible, and what "Scottish food and drink" means when it's made one pot at a time.
Scottish Food & Drink September 2026
How have the people behind Rowan Glen shaped what it is today?
Rowan Glen exists today because its people refused to let it disappear. Managing Director, Alan Baxter, who had worked with the business for 17 years across two periods, led the restart supported by his wife Julie, whose environmental health background proved invaluable and who subsequently joined formally as Technical and Quality Manager. Their children Daniel, Callum and Olivia also get involved, making it a genuine family business.
The original restart team of nine brought more than 180 years of combined Rowan Glen experience and volunteered their time during the first three months to get production running again. Most of the restart team are still with us, including Engineering Manager, Robert McKie, our longest serving colleague, who has known the factory since it opened, apart from a two-year gap which, as he came back, we have agreed to forgive him!
We are now pairing that experience with five apprentices, helping secure skills for the future. As a Living Wage and Living Hours employer, we want Rowan Glen to remain somewhere people are proud to work. In a close rural community, it is not unusual to find family members working together, including mothers and sons and even identical twins. There is a real sense of pride and community here and as yogurt producers, culture is something we know a little about!
Image: Rowan Glen Managing Director, Alan Baxter
How important are local suppliers and provenance to the way you make your products?
Milk is our most important ingredient, so knowing where it comes from is fundamental. All the milk we use is sourced from farms in Dumfries and Galloway, including Carsewalloch Farm immediately beside the factory. That gives us a direct connection to the landscape and farming community around us while providing the fresh, consistently high quality milk on which our products depend.
Local sourcing also supports the rural economy and helps us keep our supply chain shorter and more transparent. Provenance is therefore much more than a statement on our packaging: it is present in every batch we make and is central to the quality and character of Rowan Glen.
What is the story behind the name Rowan Glen and how does it tie into Scottish folklore?
The Rowan Glen name was originally created while the business was under Dutch ownership, chosen to give the new yogurt brand a strong and memorable Scottish identity. Over time, however, the name has a very fitting connection to both our products and our story.
A row of rowan trees now stands outside the Palnure factory and in Scottish folklore the Rowan was regarded as a protective tree, traditionally planted near homes and farms, used to safeguard cattle and dairy produce from harm or enchantment. The Rowan’s associations with protection, resilience and good fortune seem remarkably fitting for a business that has overcome a closure and begun a brand new chapter.
What does "Scottish food and drink" mean to you, beyond geography, and how does that translate into the products?
To us, Scottish food and drink is about much more than geography. It is about provenance, integrity, skilled people and strong connections between producers, communities and the land around them.
Scotland has such exceptional natural resources and a proud food heritage but also has the confidence to keep innovating and improving. For Rowan Glen, that means using high-quality Scottish milk from Dumfries and Galloway and transforming it into quality dairy products made by people who know the product and factory inside out. We aim to create products that are authentic, dependable, and accessible while celebrating the quality of Scottish produce.
When a customer tastes Rowan Glen yoghurts, what part of the story do you most want them to taste?
First and foremost, we want them to taste the quality and freshness of the Scottish milk. Whether it is the lighter fruitiness of our Low Fat Bio range or the indulgent texture of our Rich & Creamy yogurts, it should taste unmistakably like Rowan Glen, full of flavour and consistently good.
Beyond that, we hope every spoonful reflects the story behind it, the local farms that supply our milk, the people who helped save the business and those who continue to make it a success and the generations of yogurt making experience that go into every pot. We always put taste and quality above all else, but behind that taste is a whole lot of passion, pride and commitment.
