Guidance Notes for Completion of a Project Plan

LEADER PROJECT PLAN

Name of Project: Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle Ltd
Name of Applicant: Grace Noble

Before completing this form please contact your Local Action Group (contact details are available at http://www.ruralnetwork.scot) who will be able to provide you with more details regarding the LEADER Scheme.

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR COMPLETION OF A PROJECT PLAN

1. A project plan must be completed as part of the application.

2. There is no set template for the plan however the plan must cover the items included in this template and any other information stipulated by the LEADER Local Action Group. The plan must be approved for submission by the LEADER Local Action Group. Additional information can be included at the applicant’s discretion.

3. The Project Plan must information to demonstrate the following:

- Project Summary

A brief summary of the project.

- Robust Delivery Plan

A detailed activity plan demonstrating how the project will be delivered, detailing deliverables, timescales and milestones.

- Organisational Competence

Evidence that the organisation has the right level of resource, skills and capability to deliver the project including reference to appropriate organisational policies and procedures.

- Meeting a Need or Demand

Evidence that the project is responding to evidence of need or gap in provision.

- Engagement and support

Evidence of comprehensive stakeholder buy in, participation or ownership to the project; and evidence that displacement has been considered

- Value Contribution (Return on Investment)

Explanation of how the project will add value and deliver positive benefits proportionate to the investment sought – including leverage of investment, economic growth and rural development.

- Added Value of LEADER Investment (Additionality)

Explanation of the added value of the LEADER investment to delivery of the project, evidenced in terms of allowing the project to proceed and the role the LEADER approach and investment will play in enhancing the project.

- Legacy

Explanation of how the project will deliver structural change and/or sustained impact/benefit beyond the funding period.

- Exit Strategy

Explanation of the exit strategy demonstrating how legacy will be achieved whilst avoiding grant dependency.

- Full Cost Breakdown

A detailed cost breakdown itemising items of expected expenditure under budget headings.

- Risk Management

Explanation of how risk will be managed for the project.

4. It is important that the Applicant assumes ownership of the Project Plan and is fully involved in the preparation. This will ensure that all information and findings are individually tailored to the organisation and will highlight strengths, weaknesses and opportunities unique to each situation.

5. Where you have any problem in completing a Project Plan contact your Local Action Group Office.

Project plan contents

Guidance Notes
1. Project Summary
2. Activity Plan
3. Competence of Delivery Organisation/s
4. Evidence of Demand/Need
5. Engagement and Support
6. Return on Investment
7. Added Value of LEADER Investment
8. Legacy
9. Exit Strategy
10. Full Cost Breakdown
11. Risk Management

1 Project Summary

Please provide a brief summary of your project
Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle was established in March 2012 by myself, Grace Noble, when I became a female farmer with the vision to farm one of Scotland’s most iconic native breeds of cattle, the Highlander. My sole purpose was to acquire purebred pedigree Highland cattle for breeding and for the production of Highland beef, make my own brand of Highland beef to sell to customers locally, Scotland wide and eventually UK and Worldwide.
The Company
Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle and the Grace Fold were subsequently legally established in 2015 as a limited liability company with myself Grace Noble as the sole Director.
Products
Highland beef is slow maturing making it a premium beef. The beef is lean, well marbled with low fat and cholesterol levels whilst remaining rich in protein and iron. Due to it’s natural grass fed diet it lends itself a succulent, juicy and tender beef with fine flavour and a healthy eating appeal.
In winter the cattle remain living a healthy outdoor lifestyle and may be supplemented with silage, but with little or no need for extensive feeding of concentrates even during the hardest weather conditions.
The cattle farmed are all pure highland cattle and a declaration has been made with the breed society to enable the use of the endorsement ‘Guaranteed Pure Highland Beef’ trademark on beef produced by the Grace Fold.
Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle Ltd has been awarded whole chain assurance from Quality Meat Scotland for Scotch Beef Production. This award provides customers with a guarantee that the cattle have received the best quality of life on farm, been born here in Scotland, reared in Scotland and slaughtered in Scotland.
The highest standards of animal welfare is of paramount at the Grace Fold and providing the cattle with a healthy life and happy lifestyle all adds to the quality of the beef produced from the Grace fold. The farm is a member of the Premium Cattle Health Scheme and has adopted a beef health and welfare action plan in conjunction with the farm vet.
Services
It is my vision to provide my customers within Aberdeenshire and geographically Scotland and UK wide with a quality upmarket farm shop experience selling all the different cuts of Highland beef reared here on the Grace Fold, at the very heart of Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle. I wish to sell my beef products via an online shop (similar to Donald Russell) making it accessible to customers all over.
The farm is situated in what I consider to be a typically Scottish setting with the most breath-taking of scenery, surrounded by an abundance of grass parkland, rough heather hillside, Scots pine woodlands and wildlife. The climate can be very cold and wet in winter and extremely warm in summer showing the adaptability of this hardy native breed to thrive in both weather conditions. It is this location that will also add to the eating experience for the customers when they come to visit my farm shop.
It is intended to develop a redundant farm steading into a beautiful facility that has the rustic charm displaying Aberdeenshire’s farming heritage & culture whilst meeting with the modern day clean built design like seen at Peel Farm Coffee shop in Kirriemuir, Balgove Larder in St Andrews and Castleton Farm shop & Café near Stonehaven.
Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle may allow other quality local producers the sale of their own produce though the farm’s shop. It will champion the regions fine foods on offer and thereby enhance the buying experience of Highland beef. It will also offer education to the public about farming and food and the story of how beef is produce from breeding to packaging of the beef products.
My first step in commercialisation is to integrate the process of myself rearing and processing the beef with my own in-house butchery and developing and delivering a customer base UK wide.
Currently the business employs myself a female farmer and hires in the assistance of 1 part-time stockman to farm 80 head of cattle comprising bulls, steers, cows, heifers and calves. The fold started with the purchase of 6 heifers in 2012 and has steadily risen to have 18 breeding cows and an ever-increasing number of followers and a couple of stock bulls. The business has grown to see steers reaching maturity for beef production. To reach this stage I have invested over £250,000 in capital to cover costs of farm equipment, machinery, livestock purchase, feed production and maintain the every day rising running costs as the cattle numbers steadily increase. In the past year the business has slaughtered a number of steers and sold the beef products directly to a repeated customer base within Aberdeenshire.
In the last year I have sold great tasting, succulent, juicy, tender beef products full of flavour with a healthy eating appeal, all produced by myself a female farmer, on my own fold of Highland Cattle right here in Aberdeenshire. I am now at a stage to mentally and physically commercialise my Aberdeenshire Highland Beef from what has been a cottage industry turn into a sustainable commercial business.
As a lady farmer it is my desire to make Aberdeenshire Highland Beef a recognised beef brand for it’s great taste, healthy eating and life style choice which figures within todays consumers of all ages who make good nutritious food choices to promote a healthy life style. Supplying locally in Aberdeenshire and eventually short medium term supplying restaurants in Edinburgh, London and beyond.
To commercialise it is my intention to vertically integrate the production process creating my own in-house butchery facility, reducing the costs of production and improving on the quality of the products being produced. I will also be able to evolve and develop products using my own premises and by my own employed female butcher.
The purpose for Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle is to fill the need in the market place for healthy, low fat beef that is becoming more popular and demanded by todays red meat market.
On the beef sales produced already custom was generated without the need for advertisement, it was purely by word of mouth to local friends and neighbours and new and repeat custom was easily established. The customer feed back was most encouraging and satisfying to hear about how much they noticed the difference between my Highland beef and conventionally shop bought beef. Customers enjoyed the flavour, tenderness and simply the aroma of the beef whilst it was cooking. The other recurring comments were how they would be recommending the beef to friends and family and ordering again. Customers were also impressed with the packaging, Highland Cattle Society Recipe cards for cooking suggestions, and free promotional items I would include in every box. One batch received a ready prepared vegetable mix pack from Stir Fresh based in Montrose to promote its business.
The encouragement and recommendations from my customers to expand my business has given me real satisfaction and confidence to grow my business and that there is a demand for beef with a story to its background.
Having spoken to butchers in my local supermarkets they are fully supportive and that there is a need for good quality beef and that customers like to be informed about the provenance of the beef offered for sale.
The production of the first eight beef carcases was a valuable learning experience highlighting a number of ways in which efficiencies can be made, value added to the product and controls that can be implemented to make the highland beef a unique premium quality product that is specific to the taste and eating quality of the Aberdeenshire Highland Beef brand.
Going forward the cattle will now be slaughtered more locally in Inverurie, this reduces the travel time, costs of travel and improves the animal welfare during transport. I have also sourced my own experienced lady butcher who has noted the following benefits to the production process by using my own in-house butchery, adding value at every step of the process.
1. On boning out the beef carcase the meat will be skilfully removed, taking care to maximise the quantity and quality of the beef cuts removed and minimise wastage.
2. In-house butchery labour costs will be substantially less as was employing the services of another butchery.
3. The cutting and presentation skills of the beef will be to a consistent and to my own quality control standard adding value to the products.
4. The cuts will be better utilised and selected by what the customer demand and requests are.
5. Sausages and burgers will be developed using Aberdeenshire Highland Beef’s own secret recipe.
6. The presentation and packaging will be set to a higher quality standard adding value as a premium quality product.
7. Having an on farm butcher will allow total control over when and what products require to be made and made to order specified by the customer.
8. Not reliant on the services and availability of another processor.
9. The farm butchery provides the whole chain visitor experience and gives buyers the quality assurance that a consistent product will be produced in the same premises by the same staff every order.
10. The butchery has economic benefits of permanent skilled employment in a rural area and will also seek to train an apprentice.
11. Buyers can come and inspect the farm and beef production butchery.
All these aforementioned points will maximise the profit, by reducing wastage, reducing the costs of production and maximising the quality and adding value to an already wonderful eating product. It is my business strategy that will command a higher price for a better quality beef.

2 Activity Plan

A detailed activity plan demonstrating how the project will be delivered, detailing deliverables, timescales and milestones. You may wish to include a Gantt chart.
September 2016 – Recieve Funding
September 2016 – Complete the branding design process (2 Weeks)
September 2016 – Open Social media accounts for the butchery (1 Week)
September 2016 – Once the branding is complete start working on packaging designs (2 Weeks)
October 2016 – Start building the website and online store (1 Months until completion)
October 2016 – Build Chill & Prem room on premises (Timescale to complete and be ready for use – 2 weeks)
October 2016 – Purchase Butcher Equipment (Timescale a week from order to delivery
October 2016 – Contact butcher to cut and prepare meats for sale
October 2016 – Butcher to product develop sausage and burger recipe range for sale
October 2016 – Website and online store completion and testing (1 Week)
November 2016 – Receive first delivery of packaging for sale
November 2016 – Online Store launch – taking orders for christmas.
November 2016 – Start 2 month Marketing campaign for festive period.
November 2016 – Attend several christmas food fairs to maximise sales and build customer base.
December 2016 – Process and package orders
January 2017 – Start planning the full launch of new products and butchery event in spring