Snack Buyer July 2024

A s a dedicated, family-run team of expert potato farmers and crisp makers, it’s only natural that Fairfields has become one of the best-loved and recognised brands on the snack market today. For three generations, co-founder Robert Strathern’s family have been mastering the art of growing potatoes on the family farm in Wormingford, Essex, and their field-to-packet approach has reaped rewards: “because we grow our own potatoes and make our own crisps right here we have total control over the quality of our products,” he explains. “This gives us a competitive edge and reduces the impact of fluctuating potato prices, for example,” continues Laura Strathern, co-founder. Something for everyone As well as boasting a wide range of delicious flavours – highlights include Sea Salt & Aspall Vinegar (Aspall is based in neighbouring Suffolk), Bacon & Tomato and Roast Rib of Beef – the crisps are available in 40g and 150g packs for individual and shared snacking, and are deliciously gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Exciting new flavours are frequently added to the line-up. “In May, we launched our latest Prawn Cocktail flavour in response to the increasing demand for nostalgic and retro flavours. Much like the rest of the range, our Prawn Cocktail flavour is 100% vegan-friendly, offering a tangy vinegar and sweet tomato flavour to recreate the beloved classic seasoning with a Fairfields Farm twist,” says Tash Jones, commercial director. The decision to make the entire Fairfields range vegan-friendly was a recent one, in order to “allow a wide pool of consumers to enjoy our packs and our stockists to know they have something for everyone,” explains Laura Strathern, co-founder. For people and planet As well as making their products suitable for all, Fairfields are passionate about making them sustainable – both for the planet and for the independent retailers who stock them. “We are finding that independent retailers are recognising the need for sustainable choices, and for ranges which are unavailable in supermarkets. Our product line is not only carbon neutral and made with sustainability in mind, but also provides independent retail consumers with something they can’t find in their local supermarket – often at a reduced price. Stocking Fairfields Farm crisps is one way for independent fine food retailers to add differentiation,” says Tash. Indeed, sustainability plays a huge role in Fairfields’ brand mission and the entirety of the production process. “We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact,” says Laura. “We grow our potatoes using regenerative farming methods, producing a carbon-neutral crisp range. When cultivating, we use a minimal tilling approach in order to avoid disturbing the soil and unleashing CO2 into the atmosphere, as well as using carbon capture crops. Our integrated supply chain delivers environmental benefits as we fertilise our potatoes using digestate which is made frommaize and rye at our on- site anaerobic digestion plant. Robert keeps a very close eye on weather conditions and patterns, 5 FAIRFIELDS FARM and we use our own reservoirs to water our potatoes whenever we can. For any potatoes that aren’t needed just yet, we store in our cold stores which are powered by renewable energy, until we need to use them.” The local environment doesn’t only benefit from sustainable production practices but from environmentally-friendly land use, too. “Besides maintaining the highest quality potatoes, we also set aside over 10% of our land to wild birds, and plant flowers that pollinators love, to enhance diversity. We’re also planting more trees and hedges to help capture more carbon,” she explains. Upcoming plans The future looks bright for Fairfields. “We are very excited about what the future holds for Fairfields Farm!” says Robert. “We have a slightly updated pack in the works which really focuses on our farm and our sustainability credentials as we continue to reduce our environmental impact. We are also planning on increasing our crisp capacity following the installation of a new state-of-the-art potato fryer, set to meet growing consumer demand and expand our market presence. We are also targeting to hit net zero by 2030 and are in a very strong position to achieve this goal.” With solid sustainability practices, grand future plans and not to mention an outstanding range of crisps suitable for all, 2024 is an exciting year for Fairfields Farm Crisps – and the best is yet to come. specialityfoodmagazine.com THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE With its gold standard sustainability credentials and delicious range of free-from crisps, it’s no wonder Fairfields is setting shelves alight