Increasing numbers of potato growers that supply Marks and Spencer are establishing long-term contracts, as part of the changes sweeping a still highly traditional industry.
Hugh Mowat, M&S technologist responsible for the category, says the trend has already resulted in considerable two-way benefits. The goal is to achieve a strong partnership between M&S and its growers and packers with better mutual understanding of customer aspirations and crop usage. M&S recognises that suppliers are key to its success on the high street, he says.
M&S divides its potato business into three sub-categories, which are maincrop, jackets and what Mowat describes as new. For much of the year, the latter are in stores within 24 hours of being lifted, with harvesting taking place every day.
“No other retailer takes as much care over its new potatoes as we do - and we are talking globally,” claims Mowat with pride. “Harvesting is carried out early in the morning before high temperatures start to impact on quality. After grading the crop is washed, hydro-cooled, packed and delivered overnight. We don’t believe in stored New Potatoes, so the product always looks fresh and bright on the shelf, and has that “dug from your garden” look and “melt in your mouth” taste.”
The bedrock of the 12-month sourcing plan is Maris Peer, with M&S expressing a preference to sell British whenever possible. The season begins with the Cornish crop, which starts to be lifted around the first week of May and continues with product from farms in Norfolk and Suffolk until October.
During the spring and summer, the Jersey Royal also plays a major part in M&S programming. The retailer has had close ties with the island’s industry for more than15 years and recognises the unique characteristics of a variety that is one of the few new potatoes to have cemented a seasonal reputation with customers.
“M&S is the only retailer to have its own dedicated packhouse on the island, “ says Mowat, “and we are one of the largest customers for the industry.”
As autumn arrives M&S uses the same quality standards and distribution criteria for its imported offer, first turning to Portugal and Spain. Here freshly harvested crop is hydro-cooled and packed before being trucked back to the UK under temperature control to be on the shelf within three days. During the winter months to protect against any risk of bad weather and frost, dual sourcing from Israel also takes place.
“The logistics are different simply because of the distance, so the crop is shipped in bulk and packed in the UK, but we pay the same strict attention to detail with selected growers bound by exactly the same disciplines,” Mowat says.
Israel is also the source of Rebecca, an exclusive white-fleshed variety packed under M&S gold label as a premium priced variety.
And others are on the way; two other specialities have made their debuts in-store in the last month - red-skinned Mimi and yellow-fleshed Annabelle were both developed as a result of M&S’s own variety trials.
A slightly different approach however is necessary when it comes to maincrop. At M&S five named varieties are available year round: Maris Piper, King Edward, Desiree, Marfona and set skin Nicola, with the UK as the source from August until the following April.
Production is centred in some of the most highly-regarded areas in East Anglia, such as the Lincolnshire silts. Close liaison between the M&S procurement teams and growers already extends back to cultural procedures such as planting densities and burning off the crop.
“No matter how many test digs you do, the true quality of a crop is only seen at lifting,” says Mowat. “There can be so many variables including soils and weather. Even on a regional basis there can be high quality crops, or incidence of bruising like last autumn and risk of disease.
“As a result, we have to keep our options open to some extent to ensure we get the programmes we need. We work with growers to seek other outlets for the crop, such as processors and wholesalers, to cover these eventualities”.
There is also extensive work being done on the reduction of pesticides used on M&S potatoes, with the eventual target to be completely residue free, he reveals. Excellent results have already been achieved.
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