Mortons Rolls: Owner outlines the future for Glasgow's favourite crispy roll

From its humble beginnings in the Anniesland kitchen of founder Robert Morton and first factory in Temple alongside Jim Clarke to its current premises in Drumchapel, the story of Mortons Rolls rise was as spectacular as the crispy rolls that they have become famous for.

For the better part of 60 years, Morton’s Rolls became almost synonymous with Glasgow. However in 2023, Morton’s Rolls found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. Around half of the workforce was made redundant before the takeover saved the jobs - with claims that a seven figure sum was put into the business to save jobs and stave off liquidation.

With new owners onboard, led by John McIlvogue, there was a period of introspection to find the root of issues within a bakery that had a significant share of the local market.

“There were a couple of owners in that time, and they were heavily reliant on the supermarkets and the product range was huge,” John explains, looking back over what the new owners inherited. “It’s very difficult to produce things for supermarkets unless you’re automated.” With that lesson learnt, the business has gone back to basics according to McIlvogue.

The move sees the business take greater control over how it is run. ”It’s about going back to basics,” he says, “We’re a nation of shopkeepers and there’s still lots of independent shops out there. 

“For us, we don’t want to be dictated to by a big multiple or supermarket chain and the way we felt was if you are delivering to these big four supermarkets, who are you working for? Are you working for yourself or are you working for them?”

That spells the end of the days of finding Morton’s Rolls on the shelves in supermarkets, the business is now focusing on smaller convenience stores - a return to the way they made their name in the first place. What has not changed during the entire process is how the rolls themselves are made, and it is not an area where McIlvogue intends to cut corners.

He explains: “The thing about our rolls which probably sets us apart from everyone else is our rolls are handmade from start to finish. That extra care and attention that goes into making that roll comes out in the finished product, we don’t cut costs, we don’t try to save by putting it through a machine. It’s done by hand and that gives you that unique product. You won’t find any Morton rolls, especially the crispy rolls, that are ever the same because they’re handmade.”

There is not a total aversion to technology, such is the appetite for their products, Mortons have developed a “roll tracker” for their website showing which roll shops stock their crispy rolls. However, such is the demand for the products, often these places are already prominently advertising that they stock the crispy roll.

For McIlvogue, the next steps are to get their rolls along the M8. “We’re only really as far as Hermiston Gait, there’s a big city past that. So we will look to expand our geography if you like,” McIlvogue says. “There’s a great business there, if we can squeeze a wee bit further down, then who knows but for us now it’s about organic growth but if we can get to that point then we’re in a good place.”