Food
I
t’s been a diffi cult year, but Fairfi eld Farm owners Robert and Laura Strathern are no
strangers to hard work. Having lost much of their business
supplying independent pubs and cafes due to the coronavirus outbreak, they responded quickly, selling their artisan crisps and farm-fresh potatoes online with free home delivery. A supplier to Jimmy’s Farm &
Wildlife Park, we caught up with them to fi nd out more about their mouth- watering, hand-cooked crisps and producing them in challenging times.
What made you start making crisps? Our families have been farming in East Anglia for three generations. It seemed natural to us to make a consumer product from one of our crops - potatoes. In 2006, we decided to start making hand-cooked crisps. In the beginning, we outsourced our crisp production, and then in 2011 we brought production to the farm so we could better control quality.
What were your initial expectations? We knew it would not be easy, that’s for sure – and we were proved right! We wanted to make the best crisps possible from our potatoes and use locally sourced fl avours.
We now work with our good friends at Aspall Cyder and Adnams Brewery to make great tasting crisps with specially developed natural fl avours, which have provenance without using artifi cial additives.
What’s a normal day for you both? Doesn’t everyone in farming work hard? We’re used to it – getting up early and working long days, oſt en seven days a week. Fortunately, we enjoy what we’re doing. We typically start at 6am and work 12 hours a day and longer during harvest time. T e weather plays such an important part of our lives that we have to take every opportunity to make sure the crops and equipment are being well looked aſt er. T is makes growing potatoes quite a challenge – being British, naturally we never moan about the weather!
Which essential ingredients do you use? Farm-fresh potatoes, sunfl ower oil and natural ingredients. All our crisps are vegetarian, vegan (except cheese and onion) and gluten free.
What’s involved in the crisp manufacturing process? Fairfi elds Farm crisps are produced on the family farm, with the crisp factory just metres from its potato fi elds. Made using 100 per cent renewable energy, Fairfi elds Farm crisps have
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