Screen Potatoes Ltd is a family-run enterprise in Co. Wexford which grows some of the tastiest potatoes in Ireland. The business is fronted by brothers-in-law Jason O’Leary and John Kelly who are passionate about growing and supplying products of the highest quality.
The old saying, ‘the early bird catches the worm’ could have easily been coined for Screen Potatoes who are renowned for their early or new potatoes. Every year, they are among the first on the market with their Home Guard, Queens, Baby Salad, Rooster and Maris Piper varieties thanks to the sandy soil in the Hills of Screen and Blackwater, and the favourable ‘Sunny South East’ climate. The potatoes are supplied to Keelings, Iverk Produce and Wilson’s Country as well as directly to a handful of supermarkets.
Screen Potatoes’ commitment to quality begins in the field where they grow and harvest their premium potatoes. The care taken in storing and packing their fresh produce is proven right through from farm to fork. They pride themselves in bringing the best quality, nutritious, convenient and delicious produce to the consumer in a sustainable and responsible manner.
“Our potatoes are Bord Bia Quality Assured and are noted for their quality and taste,” Jason explains.
“Wexford is synonymous with potato growing. We’re in a sandy area near the coast in Blackwater where the soil type is particularly suited to growing the humble spud. The only drawback to sandy land is that a lot of irrigation is needed. We have to keep the crops watered. The skin finish on the Salads has to be right.
“Our early market potatoes and Salads are our unique selling point. Salads account for 50% of our crop. We’re first on the market with our Home Guards which we dig in the middle of May. Many growers would only be planting at that time of the year. The first of the Queens are dug around the 5th of June, the early Salads are dug in the first week of August, while the Roosters and Maris Piper’s are harvested at the end of August / early September.
“It takes a lot of hard work, care, planning and preparation, while you also need the weather to be on your side.”
Home Guard is a great tasting early potato with firm creamy flesh. It is high yielding and resistant to scab. It is also perfect for boiling and baking. Also known as British Queen, Queens are a popular, early-season, floury potato variety. They are prized for their excellent taste and dry, white flesh, making them suitable for most cooking methods, particularly boiling and roasting.
Rooster is a red-skinned potato with a light, floury texture. They are uniformly roundish in shape with shallow eyes, making them easy to peel. They can be boiled, mashed, chipped, roasted, steamed or baked, and a firm favourite with Irish consumers.
Maris Piper is another popular variety grown by Screen Potatoes. Their golden skin with cream-white flesh lends itself perfectly to mashing. Increasingly popular with Irish consumers, Baby Salads are mini spuds that can be boiled, roasted, fried or served as a side.
Once harvested, the potatoes are weighed, cleaned, graded and packed in Screen Potatoes’ new packhouse. There are also two cold stores on-site. The Co. Wexford company has an array of machinery to sow, maintain and harvest the crops, including four Massey Ferguson DYNA VT transmissions (7720, 7719, 7S.210 and 7S.190), GRIMME harvesters, planters and destoners, a Scanstone ridger / rotavator, a Maschio ripper and a Manitou forklift and teleporter. Maintenance and repairs of machinery are carried out in-house as well as by Kehoe Brothers Machinery in Camolin.
“Our aim is to be as self-sufficient as possible. We’re constantly upgrading our machinery which allows us to provide an efficient, professional and value-for-money service. We have a wealth of experience and expertise, and pride ourselves in our excellent produce. Above all else, we want to ensure that our customers are 100% happy with our products and service,” Jason adds.
While potato growing is in John’s blood, neither he nor Jason set out to make a career of it.
“John’s father Sean and uncle Murt are retired growers, but he was working as a carpenter and dabbling in potatoes at the same time,” Jason explains.
“I’m a qualified electrician, but always wanted to be a farmer. I was milking on a leased farm before we set up the business in 2011. We have no land of our own, so we rent about 150 acres from tillage and dairy farmers in the area. I’d be lying if I said the first 10 years weren’t tough. They were. But we got great support from John’s family and from other growers in the area, despite being competitors of theirs. We all look out for each other in this business.
“Thankfully, all the hard work and late nights we put in is now starting to pay off. We have a small, but dedicated team consisting of John, his son Shane, who is studying Agricultural Science in UCD, Paul Hearne, Lar Connolly and I. Between the five of us, we get the work done.”
The Kelly family are also well-known in local sporting circles. Jason’s wife Mag played camogie for St Ibar’s/Shelmaliers and Wexford, while her sister Kate won four All-Ireland senior medals, three National Leagues and nine All-Stars in a glittering career.
As Screen Potatoes continues to go from strength to strength, Jason and John would like to take this opportunity to thank their customers and suppliers for their unwavering support, and also their employees for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
Screen Potatoes Ltd
Garryvadden Lower,
Co. Wexford.
Telephone: 087 299 8790 (Jason) / 087 282 1894 (John)
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 13 No 3, Winter 2025
