Doing the Legge Work! Meijer Potatoes UK doing valuable work all year around, for you.
W
hilst the winter months may not involve a huge amount of work in the field for the potato growers supplying the UK chip shop market…….it does not mean that valuable work isn’t taking place behind the scenes to ensure your favourite varieties are ready for another fantastic new season crop this summer. Seed growers are busy forming plans - from greenhouse mini-tuber growing that starts the whole process over many years (the 2022 mini tubers will end up as your ware potato crop in 2027-28!), to commercial growers producing seed that will generate your ware crops next year. These growers are also busy grading and sending out last years seed crop to farms ready for planting this spring. Meijer Potato UK work with over 50 seed growers across the UK to produce a number of varieties for the trade across all sectors. As well as newer introductions to the chipping market like Lady Anna, Lady Terra and Lady Jane, we are also the producers for the well-established early favourite Accord. Its bold, white fleshed tubers and ability to give chip shops an excellent fry colour very early
14
Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • February 2022
in the season, have ensured its place as a premium early chipper. To ensure this crop is ready in time for shops when stored potatoes are running out or diminishing in quality, many early ware growers take delivery of their seed in November/December to allow the seed potato to warm up and produce a small sprout that gives it a head start when it’s planted in early March. One of our key seed growers is Yorkshire based Stockdale Ltd - our biggest producer of Accord seed. They have been busy grading for several weeks now to ensure the best quality seed for farmers, before loading it into ventilated 1.25t bags for delivery. Once unloaded at the destination farms, the seed is prepared for ‘chitting’ - either putting the seed in mesh crates, jumbo bags hung on frames, or in the traditional wooden chitting trays. Well renowned Norfolk grower and Isle of Ely supplier, Pete Legge, uses this method with his Accord seed, there is more labour and time spent but it allows seed to create a good strong ‘chit’ with lower risk of damage and crop disease when planting. Later main crop variety seeds (like Lady Anna) will be delivered nearer to planting, so the crop is mature in time for a safe harvest in good conditions, but not too early that the crop quality is lost before the end of the storage season. Many tasks to ensure growers can provide the best quality potatoes all year round, whilst relying on a little bit of good fortune from Mother Nature too! Meijer Potato UK would like to offer their congratulations to Chippy Chat and Isle of Ely for their win at the British Potato 2021 Awards, it recognises their valuable work to bring all sectors of our trade together, is well deserved and Meijer are proud to be involved with them! Chippy Chat & Fast Food Magazine • February 2022
14
