Jersey Royal bosses are in talks to buy into mainland-based potato businesses to help boost their brand.
Jersey Royal Potato Marketing (JPRM) said it is looking at major UK potato operators to act as brand champions for its product.
However the scheme has suffered a set back after the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority blocked its plans to restructure and expand its growing operations.
Tom Binet, md of JPRM, said the company had been looking to integrate contract growers into its business. At present around 60 per cent of the volume it markets is its own production, with the rest provided by around seven contract growers.
“We wanted to bring them on board so that we would have total control over the production, but the competition authorities leapt on it and scuppered us.
“It is frustrating because we’d done a huge amount of planning on it, and never thought we’d run foul of the competition laws. Our intention is still to go ahead with our plans, but it’s been an unwelcome own goal from the authorities.”
In the meantime, Binet said JPRM is keen to continue talks with UK potato businesses and hopes to have something in place this year: “We’re in discussions, we’ve spoken to all of them and there’s been a lot of interest.
“We want our brand to be fronted from the UK by the businesses that are talking to the multiples. We’re looking for them to be brand champions for us.”
