Green crisps? Yes please!
Two potato growers are shaking up the crisp market with their delicious, environmentally friendly snacks
Thought green crisps were bad for you? Not when they’re locally made using compostable packaging and renewable energy…
When was the last time you had a bog-standard crisp? You know the kind: paper-thin, a little bit salty, a little bit greasy, and a bag the size of a small child’s pencil case.
I really can’t remember when I last opened a packet of Walkers or Smiths – the crisps of my childhood. Today, these classics jostle for space on the shelves alongside a plethora of ‘posh crisps’ – thick, crunchy chips that are hand-harvested, hand-cut and sold in bags that seem to be made for giants, with flavours that could be straight out of a Michelin-starred restaurant.
With so much choice, no wonder they are the nation’s favourite snack, with 80 per cent of us munching on them regularly. That equates to six billion packets a year, or 140 bags per person. It’s a competitive market out there in the potato field all right.
It makes it all the more remarkable that two humble potato farmers from Herefordshire have also thrown their chips in – and are now shaking up the crisp market.
The story begins back in 2015 over a pint in a pub when two farmers, Sean Mason and Mark Green, start discussing ideas about how to turn the potatoes they grow into crisps in a way that would protect the countryside.
That conversation was a lightbulb moment – and led them to create the UK’s first fully compostable crisp packet. A much-needed requirement when you consider how many packets of crisps are eaten every year, just in Britain alone.
Two Farmers is not just a marketing gimmick – the product itself is first class – a crisp so posh that King Charles paid the farmers a visit back in 2019 (when he was still the Prince of Wales). The flavours are inventive but created tastefully, with the involvement of other local producers as much as possible.
Of course, creating a sustainable crisp brand has not been without its challenges. Designing a compostable bag that breaks down in just 26 weeks and still keeps your crisps fresh requires huge amounts of time and investment.
But the hard work and dedication to the cause seems to have paid off – the crisps are gaining shelf space in a whole host of retailers, Warner’s included, and have won several awards – including Great Taste Awards, a Great British Food Award as well as many green awards.
Two Farmers crisps can be bought in small and large compostable bags as well as innovative 500g sharing tins – who said green crisps were bad for you?!.
Find Two Farmers crisps at the Warner’s store in Upton-Upon-Severn, other independent retail outlets and also online at twofarmers.co.uk
Five Favourite two farmers Flavours
Lightly Salted
Lightly seasoned with Droitwich Salt, which is harvested by hand from natural springs and crystallised using renewable energy.
Woodland Mushroom and Wild Garlic
Flavoured with woodland mushrooms and a hint of wild garlic for a distinctive taste of the English countryside.
Herefordshire Hop Cheese & Onion
Seasoned with deliciously sharp and sweet Hereford Hop cheese, made for Two Farmers (using vegetarian rennet) by artisan cheesemakers Charles Martell & Son from Dymock.
Salt & Cider Vinegar
Lightly salted and flavoured with Two Farmers’ own cider vinegar, made from apples grown in Herefordshire orchards.
Herefordshire Sausage & Mustard
Made with Tudge’s rare-breed pork and seasoned with a dash of mustard.
Warner’s Taste Club celebrates the best of local food and drink in the Cotswolds. Members receive food and drink news, plus money-off promotions, and invitations to exclusive events, tastings and competitions. Join for free at warnerstasteclub.co.uk
Cotswold Life
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