Capitalizing on growing demand for more fresh home-grown herbs, a Scottish-based grower and packer is celebrating two significant deals with major supermarkets in the U.K.

Scotherbs - a producer of parsley, mint, thyme, coriander, dill, rosemary, chive, sage and lemongrass - is embarking on an expansion agreement with Sainsbury's to supply a new range of freshly-cut herbs throughout its 82 stores in Scotland.

Owner Robert Wilson has been working with the supermarket since 2009 as regional supplier of branded herbs. The expansion sees the herb range move to a 20-strong brand collection.

Scotherbs grows its crops predominately across 250 acres of southern facing slopes in Tayside in naturally irrigated soil with typical dry, sunny seasonal weather. During the May to September season, 80% of the herbs are grown and packed by Scotherbs at its packing and washing facility in Perthshire.

During the busiest part of the season around 15,000kg (33,069lbs) of herbs are harvested every week.

The remaining herbs are imported from specialist growers overseas to maintain year-round supply with rosemary coming from Turkey, parsley from Spain and other herbs coming in from Ethiopia and Kenya.

Scotherbs managing director Ronnie Legget said the company was celebrating the success of being part of Sainsbury's produce development group.

"We're delighted to announce that we are extending our range within Sainsbury’s stores," he said in a release.

"We have seen the benefit of sharing best practice to address challenges and enhance the shopper herb offering."

Wilson noticed a gap in the market in the late 1980s when he first started supplying local restaurants with fresh herbs at a time when culinary trends and diner tastes were changing to incorporate fresh herbs in cooking.

Since then the family business has become Scotland's largest grower of fresh herbs and one of the biggest producers in the U.K.

Rolling out at Waitrose

At the same time as the Sainsbury's expansion, Scotherbs has begun another new partnership with an additional British retailer, high-end grocer Waitrose, increasing its portfolio even further.

Waitrose is replacing its own hanging herb brand with the flagship Robert Wilson's Herb House fresh herbs label.

Following months of work between Scotherbs and Waitrose, the label hits the shelves next week as part of a drive to increase the volume of locally-grown Scottish produce, adding to the 400 lines it already carries from Scottish suppliers.

Consumers can pick up coriander, basil, mint, parsley and thyme grown on the banks of the River Tay in Scotland.

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