Lawson of Dyce, Aberdeen 1973

For much of the mid-20th century, Lawson of Dyce was a household name in Scotland—renowned for its bacon, sausages, pies, and pork products. Based just outside Aberdeen, the company grew from modest beginnings into one of the largest food manufacturers in the country, employing hundreds and distributing its products to homes and shops across Scotland.

The company’s origins date back to the early 1900s, when Robert Lawson, a miller from Renfrewshire, established a small meat business in Dunfermline. In the 1930s, his sons Frank and Robert Lawson took a bold step by acquiring a disused bacon factory in Dyce, near Aberdeen, for £5,000. The site had previously been home to the Aberdeenshire Bacon Curing Company, but under the Lawsons, it was transformed into a modern, efficient production facility.

Embracing innovation, the company worked with Danish experts to modernise its curing methods and introduced the Danish Landrace pig to Britain—an important step in raising meat quality standards. By the 1950s, Lawson of Dyce had become a major operation, producing everything from traditional bacon and sausages to pork pies, steak and kidney pies, and mince rounds.

At its peak in the 1960s, the Dyce plant was processing around 6,000 pigs a week and employed a workforce of several hundred. The company operated its own transport fleet of around 60 vehicles, including specially designed refrigerated and insulated vans, enabling it to deliver fresh products across Scotland within 48 hours. Its reputation for quality earned it contracts with major retailers, including Marks & Spencer.

In 1965, Lawson of Dyce was acquired by a Unilever subsidiary, marking the beginning of a new chapter. While the business continued to grow under its new ownership, by the late 1970s changes in the industry and increasing competition began to take their toll. In 1979, Unilever announced the closure of the bacon-curing side of the business, resulting in the loss of some 600 jobs—devastating the local economy. Though some operations continued for a few more years, the entire site finally closed in 1986.

During its heyday, Lawson of Dyce was not only one of the largest employers in the Aberdeen area but also a key player in the Scottish food industry. Figures such as Robert Pelman Wilkie, the company’s dynamic sales and distribution director, played a crucial role in driving growth and building the company’s reputation. By the mid-1970s, turnover had reached an estimated £40 million a year.

Though the factory buildings are now long gone, Lawson of Dyce is still remembered fondly in the northeast of Scotland.