Duffy’s Farm, formerly Duffy Potatoes, is a young and vibrant potato and fruit & veg supplier based in Buncrana, Co. Donegal. The company has come a long way in just two years as managing director Christopher Duffy explains.
The 27-year-old’s hard work, diligence, foresight and ambition were recognised when he was chosen as the Best Overall Young Entrepreneur winner in Donegal last year. His fledgling business, which was recently rebranded Duffy’s Farm to reflect its expansion into fresh fruit & veg, also scooped the award for Best Start-Up Business.
Christopher, who went on to represent Donegal at the national finals, was humbled to be honoured at last September’s awards ceremony in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny. Commenting on his Best Overall Young Entrepreneur Award, he said: “It was unexpected. It was such a tough category and to be chosen as the overall winner was a huge thrill.
“Donegal Enterprise ran an eight-day boot camp and all 20 entrants had to make a business presentation. I was chuffed to come out of it with two awards. The other award categories were for Best Established Business and Best Business Idea.”
Employing seven people, Duffy’s Farm grow, pack and distribute their produce not only to Donegal and Derry, but now to the whole of Ireland. Diced potatoes, chunky chips, freshly cut chips and blanched chips are a speciality. When Christopher set up the business two years ago with his brother John, they identified an opening in the market for fresh, peeled and chipped potatoes.
“I decided to target the processing / production end because I felt I had to do something different than just supplying potatoes in their natural form. This is a more dependable market in my view as it cuts out the middle man. Potato growers are often offered prices below what they cost to produce and I didn’t want to be at the mercy of the buyers.
It meant having to invest in washing, chipping and peeling equipment. I had to put a van and a lorry on the road as well. This investment is now starting to pay off as we’re supplying all over Ireland to the hotel, fruit & veg, restaurant, chip shop and retail sectors.
“We supply 10kg bags to the catering sector and 2kg bags to the retail sector,” he explains.
Since November, Christopher and John have also been directly supplying fresh fruit and vegetables, which are pre-packed and ready to cook, to his expanding customer-base.
“It’s all about bringing more products to the dinner table. We now have all your potato and vegetable needs covered which will allow us to make further inroads into the retail sector,” he says.
There is a long tradition of potato growing in the Buncrana area and farming is in the blood as Christopher and John are third generation potato growers. Their grandfather Philip and his brothers were major potato growers in the 1940’s. It was tough work back then with horses called on instead of the tractors of today, and Saturdays were spent with a horse and cart going into towns selling potatoes. The business developed and by the 1960’s the Duffy family were supplying the Dublin markets and were also feed suppliers.
For a while Christopher’s family were not involved in potatoes until himself, his brother John and father started again.
Christopher and John grow a wide variety of the finest potatoes on mostly rented land on the Inishowen Peninsula. They grew Roosters, Kerr’s Pink, British Queen’s and Maris Piper last year, and intends upping production this year.
Red-skinned, yellow-fleshed, easy to cook any way and hardy, Roosters are the most widely grown potato in Ireland which are traditionally harvested from August through November.
Kerr’s Pink, with their white-to-pink skin colour, are flourier than the Rooster. This is another Irish favourite that has traditionally been grown in Donegal. Queen’s are also very popular in this country. They are a mainstay of the summer with their white skin and flesh, excellent floury texture and beautiful taste. They can be used for boiling, steaming, roasting and chipping. Maris Piper, meanwhile, is suited to making chips.
Once the potatoes are harvested, they are washed, graded, chipped and peeled in Duffy’s state-of-the-art packhouse before being distributed / stored.
The Irish know their potatoes better than anyone, so the team at Duffy’s Farm take great pride in the care and skill with which they grow potatoes. They give their potatoes all the attention they need to ensure they arrive on the consumer’s plate in prime condition. They strive to provide the highest quality potatoes which meet the standards of the Irish consumer, while being mindful of the environment. Their passion for producing the best keeps them focused and promotes continuous improvement.
Christopher would like to see greater promotion of potatoes and the health benefits of consuming them.
“There is a misconception about potatoes being fattening. This is something that needs to be addressed. They keep you feeling fuller for longer and are packed with nutrients. They are also great as part of a gluten-free diet.
“They can be just as convenient and as easy to prepare as rice or pasta. You can’t beat the humble spud and we have to get that message across to the younger generation especially,” he concludes.
Duffy’s Farm (Duffy Potatoes)
Lisfannon,
Buncrana,
Co. Donegal.
Telephone: 086 3664724 / 087 7607120
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 2, February 2016
