When Flora Corbett received the Unsung Hero Award at this year’s Scottish Agriculture Awards, it was the culmination of a team effort dating back over a decade.
The recognition, she says, was humbling, and slightly uncomfortable. because she does not see the success of Mull’s abattoir as a personal achievement.
“It is really everybody here who doesn’t get the credit they should,” she explained. “This award is a reflection of their work, and of what the abattoir has done. If it shines a light on the facility, then it has been a great thing for us to achieve.”
For Flora, the award matters because it brings attention back to the role a small, rural slaughterhouse plays in sustaining farming businesses, food supply chains and rural economies on Mull and the surrounding area.
Flora’s involvement with the Mull abattoir was never planned. When she moved back to the island in 2011 when her husband, Tom, was returning to his family farm. Having had twins in 2006 Flora was starting on Mull with a blank canvass.
“I didn’t really have a choice,” she said. “I was more or less hoodwinked into coming to work at the slaughterhouse.”
At the time, the abattoir had recently reopened after being closed for a period following a fire. Operations were unsettled, systems were not fully established and the business was finding its feet again.
“It was chaotic,” Flora recalled. “I came in just to work my way through that.”
What began as a practical step quickly turned into something far more significant. When the chairman at the time stepped down, Flora agreed, by her own admission, somewhat naively, to take on the role.
Despite the steep learning curve, Flora says she would make the same decision again.
“In hindsight, if I’d known what I was getting into, I still would have done it,” she said. “I now understand the importance of it. I’ve become passionate about it. You don’t aspire to work in a slaughterhouse, but you come to understand how vital it is.”
Today, around 250 customers use the Mull abattoir, with many relying on it as an integral part of their farming, catering or tourism enterprises. About 70% of customers come from the mainland or other islands, including Fort William, Tiree, Coll and Colonsay. Flora says the distance travelled by some customers underlines both the quality of the service and the lack of alternatives.
“We even have a customer who comes from Caithness,” she said. “It’s a wide net. I am always keen to push that this isn’t just about Mull.”
The abattoir operates one kill day per week, every Thursday, with approximately 95% of animals butchered on site. Annual throughput averages around 140 cattle, 700 sheep and 200 pigs.
Pricing is kept transparent, with a flat fee of £130 for cattle, with butchery charged at £1.55/kg deadweight, plus statutory levies. Sheep are charged at £27.50 per head for slaughter, with butchery costing £34 per animal. For pigs weighing between 80kg and 100kg, the slaughter fee is £56, with butchery charged at £1.12/kg to the customer’s specification.
The abattoir primarily handles native breeds, including horned cattle and animals over 36 months, which suit the scale of the premises. There is a 450kg deadweight limit, reinforcing its focus on quality rather than volume.
Goat processing is increasing, sheep breeds are mainly Blackface and Cheviot, and there is growing interest in mutton. Hill-shot venison is another key area, with around 15 carcasses a week being processed in the first quarter of each year.
“The start of the year can be quieter so we can handle the venison but as people start coming to the island in April, they want local produce, so it is busy from Spring onwards” Flora explained.
Tourism is flourishing and Flora is keen to point out that local otters are now the biggest wildlife drawn, more than sea eagles.
Keeping the abattoir running has rarely been straightforward. Flora describes her role as a constant balancing act, with financial pressures and staffing challenges often sitting side by side.
“There have been times when it has been a real struggle to pay wages at the end of the month,” she said. “Going cap in hand to funders is never something you’re proud of, but keeping it going matters.”
Staffing has also been a major challenge at times. While the abattoir is currently in a strong position, Flora says there have been periods when the lack of staff left everyone under pressure.
Yet she believes adversity has also strengthened the operation.
“When the proverbial hits the fan, it brings people together,” she said. “Customers, locals, everyone comes together to fight for it. You move forward in a positive way.”
These difficult periods also helped to build relationships with funders, financiers and government bodies, relationships that have since proved invaluable.
One of the most significant improvements in recent years has been the establishment of consistent veterinary provision.
Previously, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) vets had to travel to Mull for kill days.
“They didn’t want to be here, and it was a different person every week,” Flora explained. “That inconsistency was a real issue.”
The appointment of Carol Paterson, a semi-retired vet based on the island, has transformed the situation.
“It has made things much easier for us and for food standards,” Flora said. “If the ferries are off, we can still operate.”
As an established facility, the abattoir is now on a more even regulatory keel with the regular audits now far more manageable.
“Having Carol here regularly helps us keep on top of food standards and what is required,” she explained.
Support has also been available to help the abattoir meet regulatory requirements, including assistance with equipment upgrades. Inspection costs are currently discounted by around 80% through Scottish Government support.
Asked what she is most proud of achieving, Flora’s answer is simple.
“Keeping it open,” she championed.
“It has been a rollercoaster in terms of stability, but we are now in a place where farmers can rely on us to provide a good local service.”
She credits strong backing from the Scottish Government over the past three years as a key factor in that stability. Rather than capital grants, funding has focused on practical measures, such as the development of a collection service.
“This allows animals from other islands or rural locations to be brought together for transport,” Flora explains.
The collection service has helped overcome one of the biggest barriers for potential customers ferry logistics.
“The ferry does put people off,” she says. “The collection service helps bring in new customers.”
Another major project under way is the installation of solar panels on the abattoir roof, designed to offset electricity costs.
“Our annual electricity bill runs to over £40,000,” Flora admits. “That is one of our biggest overheads.”
She is clear that such projects would not be possible without external support.
“We could never do this off our own backs,” she says. “The purpose is to make us more sustainable and able to stand on our own two feet.”
While funding and infrastructure matter, Flora is quick to stress that the abattoir’s success rests on its people.
Shaun Braid has been the abattoir’s slaughterman for many years and also carries out butchery work. He is supported by Fergus Callander, who works in the slaughterhall and butchery and is currently progressing through an apprenticeship scheme. Ronnie Menmuir has returned to work for us at a butcher and Archie Maclean works as the yardsman keeping the place clean and tidy.
On the administrative side, Flora handles the paperwork, while her daughter Grace worked in the abattoir office before Christmas and is expected to return in March.
Governance is provided by a volunteer board drawn from the abattoir’s main users, including Oban farmer and NFU Mutual group secretary Euan Warnock and Tom Nelson of Glengorm estate on Mull.
External support has also been crucial. SAOS, and particularly Fergus Younger, has worked with the abattoir since 2011 and played a key role in securing producer funding from the Scottish Government. Jenny McKerr from Quality Meat Scotland also providing support as the National Private Kill Co-ordinator.
“We feel we have much more backing now than we did five years ago,” Flora said.
Looking to the future, Flora says the focus is firmly on stability and providing a solid service rather than expansion.
“We are happy with the size we are,” she says. “We have seasonal fluctuations, and we want to work with what we have.”
One emerging issue is waste disposal, with the potential closure of the Tobermory dump prompting discussions around installing an incinerator. Flora is working with Argyll and Bute Council to explore funding options to establish an incinerator.
Through it all, Flora remains focused on the bigger picture.
“This place matters,” she says. “We are a vital cog in a bigger machine and help local food to blossom for businesses in the area.”
And if the Unsung Hero Award helps more people understand that, then for Flora, it has already done its job.
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