I sat down with Charles McChrystal early on a Tuesday morning.
He’s the fourth generation involved with the company, and both of his parents still run it to this day. With the family legacy going strong, I knew I had to interview this chap.
Do you snuff? If so, which is your favorite?
“I’m not too often a snuffer, though when I’m at the pub with my friends, I enjoy Glacier the most!”
What’s your favorite little tidbit of company history?
“Well, it’s tied to this factory. It’s actually just around the corner from where my great-grandfather lived. The old factory was in a different part of Leicester. When we moved, it ended up right near Grandpa’s former home.”
What have been the toughest challenges?
“Registrations, of course. We’ve been prepping for Track and Trace coming in around 2027—though it got delayed. Making sure we’re ready has been a major priority, on top of actually making the product.”
Can you tell me about acquiring Bernard’s?
“It was only two or three people making Bernard’s. And with the new laws and systems required, they just said, ‘We can’t…’
Thankfully, I was able to approach them about buying the brand. Especially since they kept beating us in awards!” Charles noted this last point with a laugh. “But more importantly, we didn’t want a legendary snuff to disappear.”
“It was quite the undertaking. People are often surprised by how small our factory is. We manage to make 3,000,000 tins of snuff a year. Production has increased to over 4,000,000 with Bernard’s in our line.”
What was the biggest challenge in the acquisition?
“The logistics. Getting all the original equipment was a lot. Sadly, we couldn’t grab everything. We got the majority of what’s needed. We left behind machines whose functions we can achieve with other equipment. Still, leaving parts of that history behind was hard.”
What is something you’re excited about for the future?
McChrystal Snow is in its tin-development stage but doesn’t have a release date yet. It will be a tobacco and nicotine-free white snuff.
(Boy, I can’t wait to try that one!)
Photograph Sources:
Portrait of Charles McChrystal – Operations of McChrystal’s Snuff.
Featured Image – Duckie’s McChrystal’s stash, image by CariAnne.
Quack Pack Tabac 