Scottish confectionary firm defends packaging chocolate with Union Flags after boycott threats

A spokesperson for the firm said they were ‘proud’ of their Scottish heritage

A selection of chocolate by Mackie’s of Scotland (Mackie’s of Scotland)

One of Scotland’s biggest confectioners, Mackie’s of Scotland, has defended packaging its chocolate bars with Union Flags, after shoppers threatened to boycott the company.

Scots questioned why the Scottish firm had not chosen to package their dark chocolate bars with the Saltire – the Scottish flag, or St Andrew’s Cross – opting instead for the Union Flag.

Consumers expressed their ire on social media, with one Scottish user describing the Union Flag as “a symbol of English Nationalism”.

Another commented: “If its [sic] got a Union Jack, put it back.

“The Saltire is the best of Scotland and if we all use this approach then these Union Jacks will come off our Scottish produce.”

Karin Hayhow, marketing director with Mackie's of Scotland, told The Independent: “The Union Jack flag was added upon the request of our overseas retailer customers.

“They suggested this was colourful, eye-catching and made the bars instantly recognisable in their market place as an imported product to the USA.

“Our wider range of chocolate bars remain in our original design in our home markets.”

She added that the firm would “never” try and disguise their Scottish heritage: 

“It’s something that we’re proud of and one of the unique factors is that we make our chocolate on a Scottish family farm.

“All our packaging both at home and abroad includes our full brand name ‘Mackie’s of Scotland’,” she added.

The dispute follows a #KeepScotlandtheBrand campaign launched in 2017 to protest against the increasing number of Union Flags replacing the Saltire on Scottish products.

Describing itself as a “positive, inclusive campaign”, the drive aims to “support Scotland's global identity as a quality producer”.

On Twitter, the campaigning group noted that Mackie's is “an important local employer to many people across Scotland”.