Ena Baxter Dies Aged 90

The Baxter family has confirmed with great sadness that Mrs Ena Baxter passed away on Thursday 15 January.

Born in Drumblair House, near Forgue, and brought up in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Ena studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.

Before launching into her teaching career, she worked with the Ministry of Food at the Torry Research Station in Aberdeen.

This service towards the war effort, although she didn’t realise it at the time, was to stand her in good stead in the future.

When a teaching post came up in Fochabers, Ena found herself making her home in Moray. Here, she met and married Gordon Baxter in 1952 … and soon a famous partnership began.

Over the next 4 decades, Ena helped Gordon and his brother, Ian, to build one of the UK’s best known brand names.

Baxters, the iconic family enterprise, is now renowned in many countries for its soups, sauces, chutneys, jams and marmalades, many of which were first created in Ena’s experimental kitchen.

Business woman, television presenter and accomplished artist, this local lady gradually took a step back from her key role in the culinary world of the Baxter business to spend time enjoying her favourite pastimes … her splendid garden which she could overlook while working in her studio.

During her lifetime, Ena, together with her late husband, Gordon, were devoted Patrons of the National Galleries of Scotland and also active supporters of Duff House, Banff.

A number of successful art exhibitions at Duff House and in Fochabers has realised many thousands of pounds for charity since the 1990s.

In 1994, the University of Aberdeen conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws on Ena in recognition of her services to the community and to industry in Scotland.

The following year, she was delighted to accept a similar honour from the Caledonian University, Glasgow, who recognised not only more than 40 years of dedicated service to build the Baxter business, but also her important contribution to the food industry in Scotland.