The potato plays a massive part in Irish history as it is the food most commonly associated with this country for obvious reasons.
For centuries, potatoes have been the main part our diet and even today, where there are so many different choices of foods to choose from, the potato is still as popular as ever.
There are many out there that feel growing potatoes is a relatively easy procedure, but to grow a particular breed of Ireland’s national food takes something special.
Ireland is renowned for growing some of the best potatoes in the world given the soil element here, and there are many potato ‘hobbyists’ up and down the country, while there are also many who practice potato growing for a living.
One such family run business is Down based Mourne Veg who have been supplying a large customer base with a wide variety of potatoes for 50 years now.
Mourne Veg owner Martin Sloan speaks to this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri about the origins of the business and he gives us an insight of what it takes to produce the perfect potato.
“We have been growing potatoes here for about 50 years now, but the business was only established in 2000. It came about as I had been farming all my life as had my father before me and I wanted to diversify into another area and with the experience that we had of growing potatoes, it felt like a natural progression,” said Martin.
“We harvest about 100 acres of potatoes every year. The various types of potato that we grew include Home Guards (floury white potato suitable for boiling, baking, roasting and chipping.); Queens (dry, floury white potato ideal for boiling, baking and roasting); Kerrs Pinks (floury pink potato suitable for boiling, roasting, mashing and chipping); Maris Piper (very popular potato ideal for boiling, baking, roasting, mashing and chipping); Cabaret (bright-skinned potato great for chipping and boiling); Blues (suitable for boiling and mashing); Navans (white potato suitable for boiling, baking, roasting and chipping) and Roosters (popular all-round red-skinned potato suitable for roasting, mashing and chipping.)
“We supply a variety of potatoes across two ranges – Mourne Veg and Ned’s Spuds – and these are sold either bagged, peeled or chipped to restaurants, hotels, nursing homes, deli outlets and via normal retail stores to the consumer.”
The popularity of Mourne Veg’s products has seen their customer base expand to include local shops, hotels and restaurants in County Down and surrounding counties.
“Our customer base has grown considerably over the years. We put a lot of time, effort and money into the business to ensure that the customer gets what they want.
“We are fortunate that we have the best of land down here for growing potatoes. There are many challenges to be faced on a daily basis and it is an industry that is certainly not for the faint hearted. You have to enjoy a challenge.
“Our expertise in growing potatoes is unmatched and it is why our retail, wholesale and foodservice customers have confidence in us to consistently deliver their requirements.”
In today’s society, looking after the environment is something that every business must focus on and Mourne Veg take great pride in doing that.
“We take our responsibility to the land and the environment very seriously, re-cycling and re-using where we can and setting high targets for energy conservation.”
Martin and his wife Caroline have worked hard to establish the business and get it where it is today and now they are joined by their two sons Declan and Edward in the day to day running of the business.
With ten employees and numerous seasonal workers at their plant in Kilkeel, they not only produce potatoes in a wide variety of formations, but they also grow and supply their own vegetables.
“We grow some carrots, turnips and cabbage, while off season we would buy them in and chop and pack them. One of our most popular products at the moment is the peeled and washed potato. This allows the consumer to just boil the potato and not have the hassle of doing all the prep work beforehand.”
Mourne Veg is an innovative company that are not afraid to invest in order to improve the business, while they are always looking at new services to provide.
“At the moment my son Edward is in the process of starting to produce sheep’s milk which would be sold in the high end of the market.”
Sheep milk is used in some ice-creams, yoghurts and cheeses which include the feta of Greece, the Roquefort of France, the Manchego of Spain; the Serra da Estrela from Portugal; the Pecorino Romano, the Pecorino Sardo, and the ricotta of Italy; and the Ġbejna of Malta; and the Gomolya of Hungary. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep’s milk. Though sheep produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows do, it is richer in fat, solids, and minerals. This makes it ideal for making cheese.
Mourne Veg also provide a wide range of potato seeds for the people who grow their own potatoes.
“We supply a range of quality approved Class 1 Certified Seed potatoes. The British Seed Potato Certification, Schemes aim to provide assurance that seed potatoes delivered to buyers and growers meet specified minimum health and quality standards.”
Mourne Veg
36 Tullyframe Rd,
Kilkeel,
Newry,
County Down
BT34 4RY
Tel: 028 41763736
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 7, September 2016
