Royal David’s Chippy! Isle of Ely Produce and Agrico

Once more in

Isle of Ely Produce have been promoting a new Chip Ambassador role to promote the great British Chip in association with Agrico. The aim will be to carry on the good work promoting chipping potatoes at their hugely successful open days, and through the ‘Field to Frier’ award.

By Austen Dack

The Chip Ambassadors are part of an UK wide group of shop owners and fryers who will promote best practice for potato buying, storing, and of course frying. The chain will also include key growers too like PJ Lee & Sons, and A. L. Lee Farming Company, as IOE looks to nurture the relationships they have grown across the whole supply chain during the last twenty years.

Agrico have partnered with Isle of Ely Produce to bring two new varieties into the trade initially via our Chip Ambassadors. The two varieties Babylon and Lugano will be sampled at some of these ambassadors to back up the results of early trial successes.

This time I visited Millers of Haxby for National Fish & Chip Day. They held a very successful demonstration of how they only use the vest of ingredients including fresh cut chips via PG and Isle of Ely Produce and fresh frozen fish from the crews of the Norwegian vessels Ramoen and Leinebris via Seafood from Norway and Smales.

I managed to find a sample of Babylon for them to try on this special day. They (Babylon) travelled well (from farm to frier via a three-hour train journey. Both David and Nick Miller were impressed with them. David said “We procure only the finest ingredients here at Millers. Moving forward the quality, size, texture and of course taste of Babylon fits this procurement strategy.” Nick said “It is great to taste a new variety of potatoes on National Fish & Chip Day, despite the fact we are very late on in the season, the held up well, looked good and tasted incredible.”

It was a great day at Millers, and it was so good once again to taste their awardwinning food and offer them a new variety to consider in the future.

Oliver Boutwood Isle of Ely Director says. “It’s good to hear so many shops like the all-round good characteristics of Babylon. We are pleased with this partnership between Agrico IOE and chip shop owners.”

Royal David’s Chippy!

Alex Moore, Agrico UK Sales Manager said: “We are thrilled to be working closely with Isle of Ely Produce & the Chip Ambassadors to launch two exciting new varieties. As a business we are always trying to breed better tasting and more sustainable potato varieties.”

Chip shop owners already signed as Chip Ambassadors for Isle of Ely Produce include Colin Cromer – The Fish Hoose, Kerry Brennan – Golden Union, David Henley – Henley’s, Richard Ord Jr – Colmans, Eric Snaith – Eric’s, Kelly & Tim Barnes – Krispies, Lauren Kellaway – Kellaways, Charlie Collins – Frydales, Fred Capel- Chez Fred, Matt & Ashley Phillips – Shap Chippy, Malachy Mallon The Dolphin Takeaway, Richard Foster – Fish and Chips at Weston Grove, Emir Hikary – Hiks, Alan Shillingford – Shillingfords, Gregg Howard The Chip Shed, Ian Wallis Henry’s Hunstanton, John Hudgell Pimp my Fish, The Petrou Brothers, Marcus French, Millers Haxby, and Sarah Heward – The Real Food Café.

We will be featuring Babylon and Lugano reviews in the coming months, and at the Isle of Ely Open Day, where you can try them for yourselves. Email austen@chippychat.co.uk if you would like to try them and/or become one of our ambassadors.