Potato Review

www. tongengineering .com e: sales@tongengineering.com t: +44 (0)1790 752771 > Gentle Handling > Advanced Design > Intelligent Control INNOVATIVE DESIGN FROM FARM TO PACK TURNKEY PROCESSING SOLUTIONS OPTICAL SORTING IN-FIELD & ON-FARM UNRIVALLEDCLEANING&GRADING ADVANCED BOX HANDLING WASHING & POLISHING THE COMPLETE SOLUTION Designed with you in mind NEWS W OLDS Produce Ltd, based in Pocklington near York, has completed the acquisition of WM Quarrie (Potato Marketing) Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. Established in 2004 by Simon Tootell and local farmer Simon Foster, Wolds Produce was set up as a potato trading business offering crops from the York area to packers; Directors Tim Foggin and Graham Bennett then joined the business in 2010. The company has grown to become a major potato supplier into the crisping, chipping, ware, and seed industries across the whole of the UK. Over the last three years, its crisping operation has doubled in volume with its customers supplying around 80% of all the crisps in the UK market – these include Walkers, Seabrook, Walkers supplier acquires seed business As company expands into East England, search is on for ‘new talent’. the Tayto Group and Yorkshire Crisps. The business has also expanded its specialist potato seed production operation with Wolds Produce known as a trusted supplier of high-quality seed for commercial ware crops. As part of its growth trajectory, it last year acquired 26% of WM Quarrie, run by Bill Quarrie and Stuart Fox, which over the last nine years has become a successful independent seed business. The deal, which was negotiated by Leeds law firm Clarion’s corporate team, included a call option which Wolds Produce has now taken up with the acquisition of the remaining shareholding completing in June. In recent months the company has also expanded its crisping customer base into Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, “We looked at where we thought the industry was heading, and took the decision to specialise.”