Northern Irish potato supplier Wilson’s Country has added sweet potato chips and baby potatoes with garlic butter to its ‘You Say Potato’ branded convenience range.
The County Armagh-based firm said the new launches are part of its focus on the UK convenience market, where it is currently seeing double-digit growth.
Sold in pouches, the Sweet Potato Chips are £1.50 for 350g, while the Baby Potatoes are £1 for a 450g pack.
MD Lewis Cunningham said: “At Wilson’s Country we have continued to expand our range of chilled potato products with the recent addition of two new convenience products for a sector that is now equivalent to 20 per cent of that generated by the entire fresh potato market in the UK.
“Consumers want convenience, when it comes to all their cooking practices. And potatoes are no different in this regard. Our You Say Potato brand is proving a substantial success for the business, and we are keen to grow sales in Britain, our most important target market.”
Sourcing potatoes from across Ireland and overseas, Cunningham said the main Irish crop is running around almost a fortnight ahead as a result of the mild spring, while Northern Ireland’s potato acreage is up five per cent year on year.“The combination of heat, sunlight and moisture that has characterised the weather over recent weeks has ensured that growth rates have been well above average,” he said.
“The increase in acreage would point to a degree of speculative growing by farmers, who are not specialist producers. There is also some evidence of traditional potato growers planting larger areas this year,” he said.
Wilson’s Country said it is Northern Ireland’s biggest potato packer and a major supplier to retailers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with a developing business in Britain.
