A potato supplier from Ely has launched a new platform to help promote the Great British chip to mark national fish and chip day.
Isle of Ely Produce have created a chip ambassador scheme, consisting of shop owners and fryers who will promote best practice for potato buying, storing and frying.
The Ely company aims to continue the work it has done through their open days and the ‘field to frier’ award it sponsors at the national fish and chip awards.
The chip ambassadors also includes key growers in a bid for Isle of Ely Produce to cement the relationships they have built with the supply chain over the last 10 years.
Oliver Boutwood, director of Isle of Ely Produce, said: “We have met many great chip shop owners over the years.
“We have supplied enough potatoes during that time to serve over 600 million portions of chips. This new scheme will give us even more information across the UK, that we can use to make sure we have the right variety in supply at all times.”
As part of the scheme, chip ambassadors will be used to sample new varieties that come into the market brought by potato distributor Agrico and Isle of Ely, such as Babylon and Lugano.
One of the first shops to sign up to the scheme is Shapp Chippy near Penrith in Cumbria.
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Matt Phillips, co-owner of Shapp Chippy, said: “We are delighted to get involved with this as we have seen the good work Isle of Ely do at their open days.
“We can report on various issues we have with the potatoes and or varieties which in turn, can be fed back to the merchants and growers.”
Alex Moore, sales manager of Agrico UK, added: “We are thrilled to be working closely with the chip ambassadors to launch two of our new varieties.
“We place a lot of emphasis on product management and this link with the chip ambassadors, Isle of Ely and the growers will help us ensure that each area of the supply chain know how to get the best out of Agrico varieties, to give the customer the best chips they can buy.”
To become a chip ambassador, email Austen Dack at austen@isleofely.co.uk.
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