£350k Facilities Up and Running at Huntly Auction Mart
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News Release
£350k Facilities Up and Running at Huntly Auction Mart
Saturday’s show and sale (21 October 2006) of 1100 spring born calves at United Auctions’ mart in Huntly marked the completion of a £350,000 facelift. This sees the mart now boast a 70-seat café providing home-cooked food ready for the late autumn livestock sales. Jim Hunter, local director of United Auctions, said: “This sale attracted a remarkably high number of buyers and sellers, so we’re particularly delighted that we are now able to offer excellent refreshment facilities for our customers, many of whom travel long distances to attend.”
This is the latest in a series of improvements at the mart. After years of temporary office and catering facilities, the mart building has been extended to include new offices for staff as well as the café. Earlier in the spring new IT equipment and electronic display boards were also installed. David Leggat, executive chairman of United Auctions, says the investments are a commitment to strengthening services offered to farmers across the north and north-east. He said: “We have made our strategy clear for the north and north-east of Scotland and I hope customers are beginning to notice the difference. Our aim is to provide farmers with a realistic choice for marketing their livestock. These improvements, plus our planned special sales for Caithness stock, as well as our continuous drive to employ the best people are all part of that process.” Show Champion was a 395kg Limousin bullock from Gaich, Grantown-on-Spey which sold for £950. |
The café, named the Park Lane Café, has been licensed to local entrepreneur Margaret Paterson who has many years catering experience. Open from 9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week, the café’s menu focuses on good home-cooked meals and snacks. It has already proved a hit with residents of Huntly and the surrounding area and passers-by.