Director of his family firm Walker’s Shortbread who turned a simple product into an international brand

Jim Walker, who has died at the age of 80, was one of the UK’s master exporters, turning a simple product into an international brand. The ubiquity of Walker’s Shortbread in the world’s airports and delis has made it a leading brand of the food and drink industry and an exemplar as to how a family business can expand and still retain its independence.

Jim himself was an understated and charming man who led the firm’s growth from its place of origin – the village of Aberlour, Moray, with a population of barely 1,000, tucked away on Speyside in the north-east of Scotland. Between its sites in Aberlour and Elgin, 12 miles away, it grew under his leadership to employ 1,500 people, with a turnover in 2023 of £184m.