New potato convenience products from Wilson's country
Wilson's Country, the leading Northern Irish potato business, has added two new chilled convenience products to its successful 'You Say Potato' brand which it hopes will further enhance sales in Britain.
The family-owned company, which is based at Craigavon in county Armagh, has introduced Sweet Potato Chips and Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter. Both products are in easy stored pouches - Sweet Potato Chips in 350g pack retailing at £1.50 and Baby Potatoes with Garlic Butter in 450g retailing at £1
The company says the sweet potato product cooks in seven minutes and baby potato in eight minutes in a microwave, emphasising the focus on convenience.
Lewis Cunningham, managing director Wilson's Country, says the convenience category is a key target for the company in Britain because it is "delivering double digit growth". "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 which is now equivalent to 20 percent 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," he adds.
The company, which employs around 70 people at its purpose-built processing plant, is Northern Ireland's biggest potato packer and an important supplier to retailers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It has a developing business in Britain.
Wilson's sources potatoes from growers throughout the island and also from overseas. The main Irish crop, according to the company, is "almost a fortnight ahead of the usual start to the season". "As a result of the mild spring, crops were planted early and soil conditions remained excellent. 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."
Northern Ireland's potato acreage is up five percent year-on-year. "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," Mr Cunningham adds.
The company, launched in 1986, is investing extensively in waste minimisation measures and is considering the development of anaerobic digestion technology.
"These are changing times in the potato sector. As a company, we are committed to bringing innovation to bear, across every aspect of the business," Mr Cunningham says.