Arran Mustard Company
It was in 1979 that Iain Russell started making mustard to his Grandma Beaton’s receipt in his kitchen, then his garage at Thornhill House, Whiting Bay.
Initially selling it in his shops at Whiting Bay Craft Centre on the Pier and The Arran Collection, on Brodick Pier, it soon became apparent it was going to be a great success and an ‘Arran gift to take home’. Having taken a stand at The Ingliston Trade Show in Edinburgh, it was clear more products were needed to compliment the Original Arran Mustard which was being sold to gift shops around Scotland. Iain purchased the old blacksmiths workshop at Monamore Bridge in Lamlash which was set up as a production unit where there was also a wee counter set up to sell the products made. Then it was mostly mustards but we soon got into making chutneys, jams and marmalades.
Over the following years, two more factories were built on site and in the field adjacent and the name was changed to Arran Provisions, in recognition of the range extension to other products besides mustards.
Some ingredients were sourced locally, particularly the beer for the Beer Mustard from TommyGilmour at the Ormidale Bar in Brodick!
It had always been Iain’s dream to have a ‘Crabtree and Evelyn’ type business combining toiletries and comestibles.
In 1988 Arran Aromatics was born and so in November 1989 we moved into The Home Farm at Brodick where production of a wide range of toiletries took place, and a courtyard of shops where we sold all the Arran Provisions and Arran Aromatic products. Ian Russell was a great entrepreneur and along with the likes of Iain Johnston of The Auchrannie, they put Arran on the National and International map.
Contributed by Jan Shirley (Murrie) one of the team from the day!

Note.

Arran Aromatics changed the name to ARRAN Sense of Scotland. Janet, Andrew and Duncan Russell are still at the helm of this company.