Ask them for their favourite Baxters soup flavour and Millie McKenzie and Laine Herd don’t hesitate. McKenzie loves lentil and bacon, while Herd is a fan of spicy parsnip. But as well as the “comforting texture” and “uplifting flavour” promised on the labels of the soup cans, their choices are influenced by the pair never taking their eye off the bottom line.

“We both like soups that perform well operationally,” laughs Herd. “They are both very good yielders.” Clearly McKenzie’s time with the venerable food company – now an ICAS training office, where she is working while studying for her CA qualification – is going well.

She and Herd may be at different stages of their careers but it’s not just an interest in soup they have in common. Both grew up in Moray in north-east Scotland, both chose to study accountancy at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU), and both now work at the company that has been a fixture of the area for more than 150 years.

“I grew up always being aware of Baxters,” says McKenzie. “I even used to come here with my parents to see Santa. And I’m really enjoying working here. At school I struggled with purely academic learning as I’m much more practical, so learning while I’m working here is perfect for me.

“Six months in, I’m really starting to get quicker and more confident with the weekly tasks. The part I like most is understanding the P&L. It’s such a big part of accounting – where costs come from, where revenue comes from, and how functions such as the factory and supply chain feed into that.”

The decision to recruit a graduate apprentice developed from Herd’s connections with RGU. “I thought it was worth exploring as a way of bringing new people into the finance team,” says the European Head of Business Performance at Baxters. “And ideally that would include young people from the area. I’m passionate about retaining local talent.

“We received Millie’s CV on 27 May and she started on 16 June. Then, within just three months, she was starting at RGU and we were becoming an ATO – it couldn’t have been easier”

Laine Herd, Baxters

“We reached out through several channels looking for an office junior, while making it clear we hoped they would pursue further studies. We received a huge number of CVs and Millie’s was one of the first we saw. She made it clear she was keen to study, so we talked her through the options and she chose the ICAS route.”

Although the registered office of Baxters has been in Edinburgh since 2018, its main UK production facility and ‘spiritual home’ remains the Moray town of Fochabers. It was here in 1868 that 25-year-old George Baxter opened a grocery shop and began selling the preserves made by his wife Margaret. Subsequent generations of Baxters built the brand up and the company remains in the family, with the signature of scion, and current Executive Chairman and Group CEO, Audrey Baxter, featuring on all its branded products.

Rural idyll

Reflecting the firm’s rural heritage, the Fochabers factory is situated in an idyllic rural spot beside the river Spey. Should you wander through the nearby woodlands, you may even catch a delicious whiff of royal game soup, Albert’s Victorian chutney or even the piping hot gravy of a Fray Bentos pie – Baxters bought this other famous brand in 2011.

But while the Baxters image is as comforting as the soup that warms its customers, the business is underpinned with meticulous planning. The group now has almost 1,500 employees, and has expanded into Europe, North America and Australia.

“We nurture a performance-focused culture across the business and own the full P&L and performance of those numbers,” says Herd. “We identify strategic priorities, implement plans and work closely with the leadership teams. We also develop the processes, tools and skills needed – and ensure we have the right finance business partners in place.”

After graduating from RGU, Herd worked in the oil and gas industry – mainly in Aberdeen, though with a short spell in Africa. Keen to move back to Speyside with her husband, she took a job with Baxters in 2014 as a Management Accountant. Several promotions later (interrupted by a spell at William Grant & Sons in nearby Dufftown) she remains highly appreciative of the Baxters culture.

“You’re encouraged to get involved in lots of different roles here,” she says. “I’ve been seconded into supply chain, procurement, demand planning, production planning and customer service. It’s all broadened my understanding of the business and how everything impacts the numbers. We recognise that if someone’s keen, willing to work hard and wants to stay, we should give them those opportunities – and that includes Millie.”

McKenzie began her Baxters journey in the accounts payable (AP) department. “It was a repetitive set of tasks to help her learn the ERP [enterprise resource planning] system and supplier base,” says Herd. “Around 80% of our costs flow through AP, so it’s a great foundation. Then she moved to sales ledger – same idea, but on the customer side. After a few weeks, she then joined my team for three days a week in operations finance – understanding factory P&Ls, variances, standards, stock balances and raw/pack prices. The other two days were commercial finance – gross margins, targets, trade spend and customer revenue.

“When university started, we scaled back. Millie is now our Operations Accountant. Every Monday she produces the P&L for all operations sites, reviews variances and presents the results to factory leaders. We’re now developing her ability to look forward as well as backwards.”

So how did Herd find the process of becoming an ICAS authorised training office (ATO)? “At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by what the process would be like, but RGU and ICAS made everything really straightforward and I was very impressed by the speed,” she says. “We received Millie’s CV on 27 May and she started on 16 June. Then, within just three months, she was starting at RGU and we were becoming an ATO – it couldn’t have been easier. I think this is a really good route for young people interested in a career in finance.”

The open, collaborative culture at Baxters also means McKenzie can get a feel for the way she would like to shape her career. “For now, I’m just looking to understand everything and see what I like,” she says. “But I’m interested in management accounting in terms of leadership, analysis and decision‑making.

“My advice for anyone considering the graduate apprenticeship route with ICAS is that, if it feels right, go for it. It requires a lot of work and dedication, but it’s so worthwhile in terms of gaining the experience and the qualification at the same time.”

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