The great cottage cheese revival was not something we expected to be reporting on last week.

Surging demand for 1980s favourite was highlighted by Graham’s The Family Dairy as it reported a return to profit for the financial year to the end of March.

Bridge of Allan-based Graham’s heralded booming demand for natural protein dairy products and the resurgent popularity of cottage cheese – driven in part by the popularity of recipes based on high-protein and low-fat dairy products on social media platform TikTok – as it reported a pre-tax profit of £2.8 million. Graham’s returned to the black after making a loss of £1.3m the previous year, when it encountered the “most challenging trading conditions in living memory”.

The firm’s latest results revealed that sales of its high-protein products had overtaken sales of conventional milk in major supermarkets for the first time, as Graham’s underlined the impact made by its investment in new products, including its Protein 25 pouches and yogurt pots and drinks.

“These results are positive, with Graham’s Family Dairy operating at a profit with strong sales growth, despite continued challenging conditions,” said managing director Robert Graham.

“As dairy farmers ourselves, who continue to milk our own cows, we understand the pressures of continued high energy, staffing, and raw material costs. However, our continued programme of investment in new product development and our manufacturing sites has meant that profits have remained steady.”

The week also brought news another high-profile property deal secured by Greenock-based entrepreneurs Sandy and James Easdale.

The owners of bus firm McGill’s Group added to their burgeoning commercial property portfolio with the acquisition of an Inverclyde factory formerly occupied by a global packaging manufacturer. The Easdale brothers clinched a deal to purchase the 5.42- acre site as efforts continue to rejuvenate the port of Greenock. Peel Ports recently unveiled two new ship-to shore cranes following an investment of £25m.

The site on Port Glasgow Road was formerly owned by Berry bpi, and for many years prior had been home to British Polythene Industries (BPI), which was sold to packaging giant RPC for £261m in 2016. RPC was acquired by Berry Global in 2019. However, subsidiary Berry bpi announced the closure of the Greenock factory in August 2023, citing a downturn in demand from customers in the construction, industrial packaging and healthcare sectors. Scores of jobs were lost.

The large industrial complex, which was originally developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, spans nearly 120,000 square feet. It includes a two-storey office block and a series of interconnected industrial buildings of varying age and construction, as well as a yard and car parking areas.

“We are in no doubt that as the waterfront activity multiplies there is going to be a huge demand for support jobs and services, and we will be ideally placed to provide accommodation and working space for companies big and small who want to be part of the action,” Sandy Easdale said.

The deal came hard on the heels of the Easdales’ acquisition of a major residential development in the upmarket village of Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, which has planning permission for 64 homes. The entrepreneurs are currently developing 850 homes on the site of the former Tullis Russell paper mill in Glenrothes and have planning consent for 450 homes at the 70-acre former IBM site in Greenock.

As the week began to draw to a close, technology industry veteran Mark Logan announced his decision to stand down from a high-profile advisory role with the Scottish Government with a stinging attack on critics. The former Skyscanner chief operating officer cited the “draining” effects of attacks from the right wing, including some publications, as he stepped down as chief entrepreneurial adviser to the Scottish Government. Mr Logan, right, was hired by current Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for the Economy Kate Forbes to review Scotland’s technology ecosystem in 2020, and after authoring his report remained with the government to work on entrepreneurial policy. However, he has faced criticism after details of his remuneration emerged.

The Scottish Government revealed following a freedom of information request earlier this month that Mr Logan was paid a total of £263,863.44 for his work between July 2022 and July 2024, leading some to question the value of his work.

Announcing his departure on LinkedIn, Mr Logan stated his continued belief in “Scotland’s ability to be a world-class start-up nation” and emphasised there are no “musical differences” behind his decision to quit, as he reflected on progress made by projects such as the TechScaler start-up incubation and learning network.

But he declared that he was “increasingly becoming a target for some in the right wing of Scottish politics and their supporting publications which, just as intended, has become draining. “So I’m stepping down from my role as chief entrepreneurial adviser.”

He added: “I also believe that it is better to stop doing something while you are still enjoying it, and when it still hurts to leave it behind, as that way you take with you only good memories. So that is what I am going to do. I’m grateful to both First Minister John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes for their support and help Kate Forbes for their support and help throughout my appointment period, and for their understanding concerning my decision now.”