Chip Leaders!

By Austen Dack

Isle of Ely Produce is a family-owned business, ran by the Boutwood family

(John, Oliver & Claire) since 1994 however their involvement in the potato industry stretches back even further, with around 50 years experience.

The founders are passionate about the business and although long established, still have plans for continued innovation, environmental development, and growth.

Over the last ten years they have developed one of the biggest marketing platforms within the fish and chip industry. Called Field to Frier they have carefully nurtured every aspect of the supply chain all the way from the seed potato to the consumer.

Oliver Boutwood Isle of Ely director enthuses “From Field to frier” is a collaboration between seed developers, farmers, merchants, fish friers and ultimately the chip shops customers. We have invested lots of time and effort into educating our sector.

IOE supply potatoes to multiple sectors including markets, restaurants and takeaways through wholesalers and merchants. One of the principal marketplaces is the fish and chip sector. We place over 2 million bags of potatoes into fish and chip shops a year. We market/ promote some of the biggest chipping potato farmers, varieties, and brands in the UK.

What we wanted to do was to get closer to the end user, the customers of the nation’s 10,000 fish and chip shops. First, we became an associate member of the National Federation of Fish Friers and started to attend their meetings in Leeds. Then we looked at setting up a platform linking the whole supply chain. Teaching the chip shop owners best practice and giving farmers an idea of what it takes to run a fish and chip shop.

From there Isle of Ely invested into sponsorship of the National Fish and Chip Awards. A Seafish awards programme, where never before had there been an award levelled at chipping potato knowledge. Winners had to show care in storage conditions, variety choice, seasons, stacking and of course frying the ultimate chip. In this the tenth year (now under the wing of the NFFF) of the award we can look back on many brilliant winners all advocates of empowering this knowledge

During the early days IOE also purchased this fish and chip publication Chippy Chat which I have gone on to publish over 100 issues to date. This again would give potatoes (merchants, farmers, seed producers etc) a massive voice at the sharp end. It also has given us the chance to understand the whole sector and get involved with many other projects. Chippy Chat allows Isle of Ely Produce to educate a whole sector with ongoing issues such as climate change, suppressants, prices and more. It has created a whole new marketing platform for farmers, growers and shop owners.

As part of the Field to Frier platform, the firm also has an annual open day. It gives the industry a chance to meet over 100 chip shop owners each year, and indeed farmers to welcome them to their fields, sheds and equipment. It shows shops the investment needed just to get a crop into their shops. We show presentations on the day at Isle of Ely’s farm via a £6,000 AV stage set. To this event we attract seed houses, farmers, suppliers to chip shops and more. To date over 1000 people have visited our farm to these open days.

Last year we set up with NEODA on National Fish & Chip Day a mobile unit (PIMP MY FISH) and gave away 500 portions of fish and chips. It was also a part of the chip ambassador role we have set up to trial new varieties, notably Babylon, which is being trialled across the UK.

John Boutwood, Managing Director, is proud to say that Isle of Ely Produce is a local, Fenland business that operates nationally and internationally. “Our personal touch is supported by significant resource, expertise and reputation. We are proud of our marketing platform and relationships we hold across the chipping industry.”

Your customers are looking for providence and sustainability when buying foods of all types. We can trace your potatoes all the way from seed to frier!

Our state-of-the-art facilities have also been carefully designed for the storage of potatoes. We have invested heavily in improving our storage and handling facilities by doubling the size of our Cambridgeshire site giving us an extensive set down space. Our integrated management system provides 100% traceability on all produce received and dispatched.

If you would like to be part of Isle of Ely Produce’s success story, then we would love to hear from you. We would be delighted to hear from potato retailers, restaurants, take aways and growers. We were a proud winner of the 2021 Marketing Award at the Potato Awards and also we are in the Top Five Suppliers Award at this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards

Ask your potato merchant for Isle of Ely sourced potatoes today. We have a massive choice of varieties available (bagged or pre-prepped) to offer to shops across the UK.

Feel free to call us or get in touch to see if we can help. 01353 863355. www.isleofely.co.uk