English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP) has brought together two Yorkshire-based companies, Seabrooks Crisps and Wold Produce, to produce a new range of crisps made with local potatoes.

EFFP was called in by Seabrooks Crisps to evaluate the opportunities for supply in the area and facilitate this new supply chain, and identified Wold Produce as primary choice to help supply the crisps company with the potatoes they needed.

After providing the facilitation the two businesses needed to ensure success, EFFP is now working with Wold Produce to identity growers to meet this local demand. EFFP believes that getting farmers to work closer together with processors and developing mutually beneficial contracts for all involved is a great step forward within the industry.

Seabrook Crisps has used potatoes from the Yorkshire region since it was formed in 1945, but, despite the relatively small geographic distances involved, the company has become increasingly distanced from its growers. This is the result of the protracted supply chains that exist in the industry, according to Cliff Beer, finance director at Seabrook Crisps. “This [situation] has done little to assist either the growers or ourselves, the processor,” said Beer. “It is for this reason that we asked EFFP to help us to put together a group of growers to supply us with crisping potatoes within a long term partnership. We believe that the framework that is being put in place will ensure continuity and will result in a better mutual understanding of each party’s needs. The outcome of this should be an enhanced financial position for all concerned.”

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