Small producer makes it big on The Apprentice
Fairfields Farm Crisps, a small, artisan crisp maker from Colchester, in Essex, enjoyed its prime-time TV debut last week, featuring on The Apprentice.
BBC bosses asked third-generation potato farmer and crisp maker Robert Strathern to get involved in the show as a mentor and crisp expert, as the final eight hopefuls battled it out in the last stages of the popular reality TV show, creating their very own crisps.
"It was really exciting, first to be asked to get involved and then to do all the filming. We were basically there to provide the expertise when it came to making the actual crisps. Fairfields Farm Crisps were then represented by the apprentices as they took the final product to Germany to sell" continues Robert.
Filming began early in the morning at Savoury Flavours in Manningtree, where all the flavours for Fairfields Farm Crisps are created. "We worked with two of the apprentices, helping them test out and choose flavours. The crisps were being made to appeal to the German market so they came up with two flavours: Currywurst and Goulash. This decision was made by the apprentices based on the market research their team members had carried out in Germany. The German flavours were a new experience for us," laughs Robert, "as the flavours we use for Fairfields Farm Crisps are all sourced locally."
"We then went to a catering unit where they made the crisps using our own Fairfields Farm potatoes," he adds.
Last night was the first time Robert saw the show and he's hoping the extra exposure his crisps received could be a step towards picking up some new and exciting suppliers. "We're a small business, so an opportunity like this was just too good to miss and it was fantastic to be involved. I'm now hoping it helps put our crisps on the map," he concludes.
Fairfields Farm Crisps was established in October 2006. All the potatoes are grown on the family farm in Wormingford, Essex.
For more information about Fairfields Farm Crisps visit: fairfieldsfarmcrisps.co.uk
