Potato company The Higgins Group is celebrating 50 years of production this year charting the rise from ‘Potato Man’ to successful company.

To commemorate this 50-year landmark, The Higgins Group is planning a series of celebratory events throughout the year for its staff, suppliers and customers, culminating in the company’s attendance at Potato 2009 in Harrogate in November.

The Higgins Group has an annual turnover of around £40m, handles 350,000 tonnes of potatoes a year, and at any one time stores 100,000 tonnes of potatoes in its Finningley warehouse ready for transporting to food manufacturers.

Founder Michael Higgins said of the article which inspired him into business: “It was about a man called Eddy Apthorpe who started pre-packing potatoes into 10lb hessian sacks and delivering directly to homes in London. I thought it was a brilliant idea, and decided it could work anywhere.”

With an Austin A40 van, obtained on hire purchase with the help of a loan, Michael Higgins, ‘The Potato Man’, began trading in 1959, delivering pre-packed, 5lb bags of potatoes in and around Doncaster.

The Potato Man has evolved over 50 years into the The Higgins Group which employs almost 100 staff in England, Scotland and Europe, sources potatoes from across continents for the processing and table markets, has an integrated seed multiplication business in Aberdeenshire, and a French arm [Pommies] based in Reims whilst remaining family-owned.

Managing director, David Higgins, said: “Like many other commodities, the potato market experiences quite dramatic year on year supply and demand swings.

“However since early on in our fifty year history, we have constantly introduced and enhanced systems and processes designed to protect our customers and growers from the excesses of the marketplace’s highs and lows.

“I know it gives my father immense satisfaction to continue to lead a family owned and run business which has the structure and resource to supply potatoes to the companies which manufacture the world’s leading crisps, chips and ready meals brands,” he said.

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