Jersey Royal producers hope to expand their operations outside of potatoes and into the UK mainland.
Tom Binet, md of the Jersey Royal Potato Marketing Company, said it is looking at the UK and not necessarily just potatoes. “We want to strengthen our hand and grow the strength of our brand by having a better produce offer for our customers.
“We’ve got a foot in thedoor with the major retailers with our Jersey Royal brand, and we want to build on that,” said Binet.
The company, formed last year by the merger of five major producers and Jersey’s potato marketing groups, wants to bring its business model into the mainland. The company now represents 75 per cent of the island’s production. Binet said: “We merged five businesses into one to strip out costs.”
He said expansion plans are very much in the planning stages, but could include some sort of expansion of the Jersey Royal branding.
The company has also recently invested £2 million in a new packhouse facility, due for completion by the beginning of April.
Meanwhile, Jersey will mark the 125th anniversary of its unique potato with a £1.2m media campaign, featuring trade, consumer and television advertising.
The TV ads will feature 10 and 20 second spots, focusing on the island and Jersey Royal production, using genuine growers who have auditioned for the parts. A PR campaign will focus on Jersey’s heritage to distinguish the premium brand from other new potatoes coming into the market.
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