A FROZEN seafood company in North-East Scotland has signed a new distribution agreement with a North Yorkshire company.

Thistle Seafoods, of Peterhead, employs 300 people at Boddam on the Aberdeenshire coast and can produce up to 100 tonnes of products a day.

The company is one of the top fish processing companies in the UK, specialising in frozen fish fillets and added value fish products to retailers and food service companies.

It achieves sales of more than £60m a year, including exports to Europe and North America.

The family-owned company has sustainability as a high priority and has signed a new distribution agreement with Reed Boardall, of Boroughbridge.

The company transports about 90pc of Thistle Seafoods produce in doubledeck trailers.

Tony Scatterty, Thistle’s managing director, said: “These refrigerated giants carry 40 pallets, rather than the usual 26, equating to almost double the load for the same carbon footprint.”

He also believes Reed Boardall’s ability to consolidate orders at its single site beside the A1M is a distinct advantage.

Tom Cassells, managing director of Reed Boardall, said: “Everyone is striving to be green, and the frozen food market is no exception.

“We are the only single-site consolidator within Britain’s frozen food industry and this is helping food manufacturers and retailers meet their environmental targets in many ways, including minimising vehicle journeys.

“The number of suppliers we serve ensures that more vehicles are full more often which, in turn, guarantees lower CO2 emissions in the supply chain.

“Added to which, companies such as Thistle Seafoods benefit from our ability to consolidate and deliver full orders to supermarkets and food wholesalers on a daily basis.”