We grow potatoes for processing which go on to produce crisps. We select our varieties in conjunction with our customer to insure they get the best quality crisp with the least wastage possible and the varieties that can offer stable long term storage. All the companies' potatoes are used for Crisps manufacturing making over 70 millions packets per year! Approx a packet for every person in the UK
Coming in a large number of varieties, potato can be seen as the world’s favourite root vegetable. It has been growing in Europe since the 1500s, however it originated in South America. They are a part of the nightshade family, where tomatoes and capsicum also come from. Currently, China is the world’s largest producer of potatoes. There are some other interesting, and possibly more obscure facts, about potatoes too. Some of these are:
Between 1845 and 1852 there was a Great Famine in Ireland, and one of the main causes of it was a potato disease which was known as potato blight. Around one million people died due to the shortage of potatoes, which at the time they relied heavily on. In October 1995, the potato was grown in space, making it the first vegetable to do so. The technology was created with the aim of providing astronauts on long space voyages with a source of food, and eventually, feeding future space colonies. The majority of potato nutrition is in the flesh, as about 20% is found in the skin. However, for potato salads, keeping the skin on will mean you will get all the amazing nutrients.
Of the total potato crop, around thirty-five percent of it is turned into frozen French fries. On top of that, twenty-eight percent is used for fresh potatoes and thirteen percent becomes chips and shoestrings. Some people don’t realise that, not only do potatoes contain potassium, but they also provide a very affordable and concentrated source of potassium, more than bananas, orange and tomatoes. As for consumption, the average American eats around 124 pounds of potatoes every year, whilst Germans are believed to eat double the amount.
