Chip Leaders! Babylon Fried by top friers

Chip Leaders!

Babylon Fried by top friers

By Austen Dack

Isle of Ely Produce have been promoting a new Chip Ambassador role to promote the great British Chip in association with Agrico. The aim will be to carry on the good work promoting chipping potatoes at their hugely successful open days, and through the ‘Field to Frier’ award.

The Chip Ambassadors will become part of an UK wide group of shop owners and fryers who will promote best practice for potato buying, storing, and of course frying. The chain will also include key growers too like PJ Lee & Sons, and A. L. Lee Farming Company, and Legge Farms as IOE looks to nurture the relationships they have grown across the whole supply chain during the last twenty years.

Agrico have partnered with Isle of Ely Produce to bring new varieties into the trade initially via our Chip Ambassadors. Babylon has been sampled at some of these ambassadors to back up the results of their trial successes.

We have travelled to many great shops in the last couple of years trialling Babylon

including Shap Chippy, The Chip Shed in Bourton, and French’s in Wells Next to Sea. We have also been to the east coast to Henry’s to see how ‘Ed Sheeran’ fries them, plus at the Colbeck show speaking to hundreds of chip shops from their distribution area many from North of the Border! Isle of Ely have also fried them at their farm’s sample room to similar aplomb.

The overwhelming result of all of this testing is Babylon as a variety is looking like a star of the future.

Comments have ranged from good size, rumbled well, not too much waste. In the range they fry well and come out with a good colour lovely and crisp and soft on the inside.

Oliver Boutwood Isle of Ely Director says. “It’s good to hear so many shops like the all-round good characteristics of Babylon. We are pleased with this partnership between Agrico IOE and chip shop owners.”

Alex Moore, Agrico UK Sales Manager said: “We are thrilled to be working closely with Isle of Ely Produce & the Chip Ambassadors to launch two exciting new varieties. As a business we are always trying to breed better tasting and more sustainable potato varieties.”

Chip shop owners already signed as Chip Ambassadors for Isle of Ely Produce include Colin Cromer – The Fish Hoose, Kerry Brennan – Golden Union, David Henley – Henley’s, Richard Ord Jr – Colmans, Eric Snaith – Eric’s, Kelly & Tim Barnes – Krispies, Lauren Kellaway – Kellaways, Charlie Collins – Frydales, Fred Capel- Chez Fred,– Shap Chippy, Malachy Mallon The Dolphin Takeaway, Fish and Chips at Weston Grove, Emir Hikary – Hiks,David and Nick Millers - Millers of Haxby, Gregg Howard The Chip Shed, Ian Wallis Henry’s Hunstanton, John Hudgell Pimp my Fish, The Petrou Brothers, Marcus French, and Sarah Heward – The Real Food Café & more.

We will be featuring Babylon reviews in the coming months, and at the Isle of Ely Open Day, where you can try them for yourselves. Email austen@chippychat. co.uk if you would like to try them and/ or become one of our ambassadors