— Our Products —
Our teams work together with our partners, using the latest market data and consumer insights to develop new flavours, more choice and greater convenience.
Our Products
Sustainabilty
Capability
Thistle Seafoods is a highly innovative, private label manufacturer of chilled and frozen coated and value added seafood products whose origins date back to 1947.
We pride ourselves on the quality of fish products, service level, flexibility and reliability. In addition we have a very proactive and highly successful development department, which monitors market trends, creating fish products to meet consumer
and customer needs.
— Working at Thistle —
Why choose Thistle Seafoods?
Collaborative environment
Teamwork is at the core of everything we do. Whether you are working on the factory floor or in an office role, you will be part of a supportive and inclusive team that values your contributions. At Thistle Seafoods, every role plays a part in delivering high-quality seafood products to our customers.
Career Growth & Development
We are committed to investing in our people. Through structured training programmes, mentoring, and opportunities to take on new challenges, we support your growth and development every step of the way. Your success is our success.
Commitment to excellence
Our strong market position is built on the hard work and dedication of all our employees. As part of our team, you will play a key role in upholding and enhancing our reputation for producing seafood products that meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and consistency.
Positive work culture
We pride ourselves on fostering a welcoming environment where every employee feels valued and supportive. Employees work extremely hard and take great pride in the work they do. We believe in internal promotion and creating real opportunities for staff to progress within the business.
With around 18 nationalities represented across our two sites, we prioritise clear and accessible communication. Translators are always available to ensure understanding, and important updates are shared in multiple languages via email, notice boards, and canteen information screens.
Modern, Hygienic Factory Facilities
Our production areas are high-care, low-risk environments. As secondary processors, there is no gutting or filleting of fish – meaning no strong smells. Both factories have an ambient temperature, are dry, and maintained to the highest hygiene standards.
Comprehensive Training
Both our sites are accredited training facilities, working with awarding bodies including Highfield, RTITB, IOSH and Seafish. We provide extensive training across multiple platforms – from classroom and online learning to hands-on, on-the-job instruction – all delivered in multiple languages.
We also run an award-winning apprenticeship programme for engineers, and work with local colleges to offer graduate apprenticeships to those who meet the criteria. We also provide SVQs in Food & Drink Operations, and management training with the help of local training centres.
— Employee Benefits —
- Paid breaks
- Modern canteens and training facilities
- Employee of the month awards
- Refer a friend bonus scheme
- Free transport to and from our Boddam site
- Occupational Health Assessments
- Opportunities for promotion
- Multilingual training and communication
- Multiple shift patterns to suit your lifestyle
Thistle Seafoods Scholarship
The Thistle Seafoods Scholarship provides an annual award to a widening participation student pursuing a degree in engineering or food science.
As part of the scholarship, recipients will have the opportunity to complete a paid summer internship with Thistle Seafoods. Based at our manufacturing site in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, the internship offers hands-on experience working with teams in different areas of the business.
Thistle Seafoods works with some of the world’s leading retailers, providing valuable insight into large-scale food production and operations. Internship dates and working hours will be agreed in advance.
I joined Thistle Seafoods in January 2023 and support both our Uddingston and Boddam sites, line managing the HR Administrators across these locations. Working as an HR Advisor at Thistle Seafoods offers a unique blend of challenges and rewards. I play a crucial role in shaping the company’s workforce by managing recruitment, employee relations, and performance management.
I work closely with managers and employees to foster a positive and productive work environment, providing guidance on HR policies and procedures while addressing any issues that arise. I am also committed to supporting the development of our HR Administrators through continuous coaching and guidance.
With a focus on collaboration and inclusivity, I strive to ensure that our people are engaged, motivated, and aligned with Thistle’s goals. It’s a fulfilling role that allows me to make a meaningful impact on both our employees and the wider organisation.
Jack Cambell – HR Advisor
I have been at Thistle Seafoods for 10 years now, and during this time, I have witnessed many changes. As the Learning and Development Manager, I take pride in ensuring that everyone has the necessary skills to excel in their roles. Over the past decade, Thistle Seafoods have made significant investments in Learning and Development.
This has led to the creation of a state-of-the-art learning centre, the introduction of tablets for training, and the development of our own Learning Management System (LMS). One of my proudest achievements has been building a highly skilled training team dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence among our employees.
Additionally, I am proud that we have become an accredited learning centre for Highfield Awarding Body, RTITB, Seafish, and IOSH, enabling us to deliver nationally recognised qualifications to our employees). I am excited to continue driving our Learning and Development initiatives and look forward to seeing our employees thrive.
Brian Artingstoll – L&D Manager
I began working with Thistle in 2023, after graduating from university. I came into the company with little knowledge of the food industry; however, I was keen to learn and applied myself in my new role as a Graduate Technical Account Manager. Thistle, and particularly the Technical team, really helped with the transition from higher education to full time-employment. An opportunity presented itself after just over a year with Thistle when the Quality Systems Manager position became available. This presented a new opportunity to further develop my knowledge of the business and the role that technical plays in ensuring food safety and quality. I am looking forward to future opportunities that may arise within this new role.
Elliott Hepworth – Quality Systems Manager
As a young person, support, flexibility and confidence are essential in building the right path into the future, which is exactly what I found at Thistle. I was warmly welcomed by my team, and they made me feel like part of the family. As a Technical Systems Administrator, I gather and administrate information from different departments. I approve specifications for our ingredients and raw materials, which are then used to produce our products. I have built a great relationship with our suppliers, and I ensure that our products come from approved sites, that meet ours and all our customer requirements, prioritising food safety and eliminating the allergen risk. As a Technical Administrator, I have learnt many new things and developed my skills, I cannot wait to see what the future at Thistle holds.
Adriana Savu – Technical Systems Administrator
I graduated from the University of Stirling with a BSc Hons degree in Marine Biology and an MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture. After 5 years in the Scottish salmon farming industry, I applied for a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) role within Thistle Seafoods and became a member of the newly formed department. My current role is varied, exciting and demanding. Working with customers to ensure that their seafood products are responsibly sourced; horizon scanning potential future issues to ensure that Thistle are best placed to overcome any challenges that present themselves and working cross departmentally with the aim of increasing efficiencies and reducing resource consumption. Working at Thistle, no two days are the same and I get the opportunity to work alongside great teams of people. Career development is encouraged, and employees are given opportunities to realise their full potential.
Chris Kirwan - CSR Manager
I had previously been working within the food industry for 4 years and I started my journey with Thistle Seafoods in 2023 as a Production Administrator. Within my time working here I have developed my knowledge and understanding of the ERP system and I now understanding the data flow within it and can explain to others how correctly to use it. After being at Thistle for just over a year an opportunity presented itself to join the IT department as an IT System Administrator. This opportunity has given me a chance to build my knowledge and skills within IT. I am involved in IT projects that improves and assists employee’s day to day tasks and activities. I am looking forward to what my future at Thistle will be.
Gytis Miklitonas - IT Systems Administrator
Having spent over 15 years as a chef both in fine dining establishments at Michelin and Rossette level and as a private chef around Europe. New product development has opened my eyes to an entire new food world that I had never even anticipated. Allowing me to further utilise my skills, knowledge and my experiences from my travels around the globe while vastly adding to this with new knowledge and skillsets from factory processes to customer facing showcasing. I genuinely love getting out of bed in the morning to go to my work. Taking a concept from a fine dining style format and then working closely with the technologists to deliver products that are both delicious and balanced, staying true to their core ingredients but also adaptable to the domestic market. Regardless of our career backgrounds we are connected through a respect and love for food, each bringing something to the table. Pun intended! Since joining a business within the seafood industry, it has allowed me to really start to take more of an interest in and grasp on manufacturing, commercial fishing, and species profiles. Aspects I haven’t tapped into enough previously. Every day I’m learning, and every day is different!
Daniel Ellis - Development Chef
I officially joined Thistle Seafoods in June 2025 as the Recruitment Manager, but my journey with the company began much earlier. Since April 2022, I worked with Thistle externally through a recruitment agency, supporting their talent needs. During my time in agency recruitment, I worked with a wide range of businesses across Scotland and the North of England—but Thistle Seafoods always stood out as the most exciting and forward-thinking company I had the pleasure of partnering with.
Recruiting for Thistle over the past three years has been incredibly rewarding. When I first started working with the company, they had just secured a contract with M&S. Not long after, the acquisition of the Uddingston site marked another major milestone. It quickly became clear that Thistle is a business that is always looking ahead—investing, expanding, and evolving. The company’s values align closely with my own, and I knew this was the kind of environment where I could learn, develop, and add value.
I’ve been involved in recruitment across both the Boddam and Uddingston sites, with a particular focus on Uddingston as we built up teams across various departments. Since officially joining the company, it’s been fantastic to meet all our employees face-to-face. It's been great to see individuals I have placed in the company thriving in their roles—some have even been promoted internally thanks to their hard work and the growth of the business.
At Thistle Seafoods, career development is more than just a concept—it’s a genuine opportunity. Employees are encouraged to grow, and those who are ambitious and dedicated are given the chance to progress and succeed.
Craig Russell - Recruitment Manager
Throughout university and after graduating with a sports and recreation management degree from the University of Edinburgh, I worked within telecommunications, sports, agriculture and and leisure to expose myself to different industries to develop a strong set of interpersonal skills such as communication and customer relations. I jumped at the opportunity of working for Thistle Seafoods because the commercial team are so passionate about developing existing and new products to the highest standard for their clients, allowing a sense of creativity and teamwork. My experience so far has been a challenging yet rewarding one, having never worked within the seafood or retail industry there has been so much to get my teeth into! I am responsible for assisting the National Account Manager in building and maintaining our relationships with our client, assisting with supply chain management, having a hand in overseeing projects, working closely with other departments within Thistle, travelling for client sessions and everything else in between. Team Thistle have been so welcoming and encouraging of my personal and professional growth, and I feel like I've come on in leaps and bounds in the short time I've been in the business!
Katie Howard – Graduate Account Manager
Thistle Seafoods 5 Pillars of Corporate Social Responsibility
CARBON
Oversight
Environmental Working Group – An environmental working group, comprised of department heads and CSR, convenesquarterly.
Environment
Waste
Food Waste
Thistle is engaged with WRAP’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap to reduce our food waste by 50% by 2030.
Raw Material
MSC Database
Thistle, where possible, sources wild-caught fish from an MSC certified fishery.
Ethical
Oversight
Thistle has an Ethical Working Group; comprised of representatives from all departments and meet 3 to 4 times per year.
GDST Traceability
GDST – Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability
Thistle is an endorser of GDST.
Thistle has recognised the requirement to have full traceability i.e., back to farm or fishing vessel.
