Tunnock’s, which makes caramel wafers and teacakes, was established in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, in 1890.

What began as a small bakery has over the decades expanded into a major factory producing millions of treats for fans at home and abroad.

The company, which employs about 500 workers, is headed by Boyd Tunnock, grandson of founder Thomas Tunnock.

Mr Tunnock said his grandfather could never have imagined the success the firm would go on to enjoy.

He said of the year’s anniversary: “It’s a great achievement, I’m really delighted. We’re going to have a party but quite when I don’t know.

“I don’t think grandfather could ever really have imagined it would last but when you do anything, you sort of live for today.

“My father, too, was a great one for never looking back. He was always forward-thinking.”

Thomas Tunnock paid £80 for the shop back in 1890.

It was during the 1950s that the bakery started producing its now famous biscuits, starting with the caramel wafer, then caramel logs, snowballs and teacakes in 1960.

That decade also saw Tunnock’s begin exporting to Newfoundland.

Hollywood actor Cate Blanchett can be seen tucking into a snowball in the 2001 film The Shipping News which is set in the Canadian province.

Teacakes are meanwhile said to be a favourite of the band Supergrass who once visited the factory to watch them being made.

Mr Tunnock said: “Next year will be the 50th year of the teacake but caramel wafers are really what we’ve built the business on.

“We export them to Saudi Arabia. There’s two containers a month going out there, around 1.4 million caramel wafers.

“They’re wrapped the same way as they are here but with the wrapper in Arabic and English.”

The company head said: “Quality is the key point. We’re still making caramel with full cream condensed milk for example. Quality tells. You can’t kid the public.

“It’s nice to think we’re making something the general public want to buy and that we as a family business can take on the multinationals and beat them.

“Next year should be exciting for us.”