McGhee’s Bakery celebrates 90 years with archive images

Scottish bakery favourite McGhee’s Bakery is celebrating 90 years in business with the release of a collection of archive photographs, charting its journey from a small family bakery in Maryhill to one of Scotland’s best-known food brands.

Founded in Glasgow in 1936 by Dugald McGhee, the bakery began with a simple mission: to provide fresh, affordable baking for the local community.

Nine decades later, McGhee’s remains family-run, now led by the third and fourth generations of the McGhee family, and is known across Scotland for morning rolls, tattie scones, doughnuts and its much-loved empire biscuits.

From Maryhill to a Scottish household name

The newly released archive images show how McGhee’s has evolved over the decades, from its original shopfront and wartime baking operations to purpose-built bakeries, modern distribution and nationwide reach.

To mark the milestone, McGhee’s has shared some impressive figures. The bakery estimates it has produced around 145 million empire biscuits since opening its doors. Laid end to end, that would stretch for more than 10,000 kilometres — roughly the distance from Glasgow to Tokyo.

Alongside empire biscuits, McGhee’s estimates it has also baked 237,837,600 pineapple tarts and more than 369,460,000 packets of potato scones over the past 90 years.

 

Family pride after 90 years of baking

“Looking back through the archive, you realise how much has changed, from the buildings and the scale of the operation to the technology we use today. What has not changed is the pride taken in doing what we do well.

“When my grandfather opened the first shop in Maryhill in 1936, he simply wanted to feed the local community. To see that grow into millions of products enjoyed across Scotland, including around 145 million empire biscuits, is something the whole family is incredibly proud of.”

Gordon McGhee, director at McGhee’s Bakery

Today, McGhee’s operates from its bakery in Port Dundas, Glasgow, supplying homes, cafés and shops across the country with many of its best-known baked goods.

“For our family, these photographs represent much more than business milestones. They capture the people, the early mornings and the consistency that have defined McGhee’s for 90 years.

“Empire biscuits have been part of the range since the early days and are still finished by hand today. Seeing the scale of what has been baked over generations really brings home how closely the bakery is woven into everyday Scottish life as we look ahead to the future.”

Aisling McGhee, commercial director at McGhee’s Bakery

About McGhee’s Bakery

Founded in 1936, McGhee’s Bakery is a family-run Scottish bakery now led by the third and fourth generations of the McGhee family.

In 2025, it was named Scotland’s second most chosen food and drink brand in the Worldpanel by Numerator Scotland Brand Footprint report.