Nene Potatoes

The potato business people want to be involved with

Growing Together

100% Committed supply from our members
5,000 Acres grown
Marketing in excess of 100,000 tonnes
Looking after growers & customers requirements

Our Business

Marketing Potatoes
for growers since 1979

www.nenepots.co.uk

Nene Potatoes was first registered on 22nd November 1978 under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act and began its first season of marketing potatoes for its members in 1979 with 9 members growing 750 acres of potatoes.

The original group of 9 growers from West Norfolk and South Lincolnshire recognised that improved marketing would bring improved returns for their potato crop and that this could be best achieved through co-operation. The primary objective of the group at its inception was to provide high quality raw material aimed specifically at the processing market.

Markets change and develop with time and with the rise of the multiple retailers and washed and pre-packed potatoes Nene’s objectives changed to meet the new market opportunities. Whilst processing outlets still form an important part of our business the greater part of our tonnage now ends up as washed product in a wide range of retail outlets.

Nene Potatoes is still a “one member one vote organisation” although now a companies act business, owned and controlled by its grower members through an elected board. Today there are 26 members growing over 4,500 acres in Norfolk, Suffolk throughout Lincolnshire and the Midlands across to Shropshire.

We are constantly under pressure to supply our varied customers with ‘the best’. Nene Potatoes are aware of these criteria and their staff work constantly to meet our exacting standards.
Ian Cottam, Sales Manager, High Trees Packers Ltd

Nene Potatoes are consistent, transparent and professional in delivering both quality and service. They take a realistic, pragmatic approach and view on the ever changing potato market.
David Mitchell, Director, Mitchell Potatoes Ltd

Joining Nene has allowed me become a more successful grower. Nene’s focused marketing approach gives me access to a wide range of customers throughout the country.
Neil Furniss, M E Furniss & Sons (Farms) Ltd. Shropshire

Potatoes are a cornerstone crop for us, our most valuable crop, and we highly value the professional and independent servicethat Nene Potatoes provides
Julian Proctor, Proctor Bros Ltd. South Lincolnshire

Being a member of Nene Potatoes gives us access to all the market place which allows us to match each field to the right customer depending on quality.
Julian Perowne, Jack Buck (Farms) Ltd. South Lincolnshire

Nene has enabled me to access all the major supermarkets allowing my crop to be matched to the ideal outlet maximising the return to my business whilst keeping the operational costs acceptable.
Chris Harrold, E F Harrold Ltd. Norfolk

Greenvale AP enjoy the close working relationship with Nene Potatoes, built on quality, service and a 'Can-do' approach to supply of fresh potatoes into our pack houses.
Andy Clarkson, Greenvale AP. West Midlands

Nene Potatoes are very aware of our specific customer requirements; giving us access to a consistent supply of premium potoates.
Rufus Pilgrim, R S Cockerill (York) Ltd.

We offers our customers unparalleled provenance and superb quality potato production. A unique working relationship with Nene Potatoes is based on a core value of "Growing Trust”.
Paul Tracey: Procurement Director, Produce World Ltd.

Our People ^

Chairman Mark Taylor

With over 40 years marketing under our belt Nene Potatoes continues to serve its members focussed to deliver changing market requirements and customer needs.

We remain a low cost, efficient and hassle free dedicated potato marketing business with annual sales in excess of 100,000 tonnes.

We firmly believe in cross industry cooperation, working closely with our key partners to produce constantly high quality potatoes with a reputation for service and honest communication.

Maximising the value and return from every potato remains key and the Nene team supported by the Board are always looking for new market opportunities and crop development.

Whether it be now or in the near future as a grower or customer looking for crop supply, talk to us and find out what Nene might be able to do to help you.

Commercial Director Simon Brown

The potato market is continually evolving and changing but one theme remains constant and that is the demand for quality potatoes grown on good land by professional growers.

The core of Nene membership is based on the South Lincolnshire silts but as the group has expanded we now have members in other parts of East Anglia across the Midlands to the West, but the theme remains the same. Our customer base, which gets even broader, knows that one phone call can provide all their procurement needs.

Without customers we don’t have a business and our commitment to them is quality, reliability and integrity. Our commitment to our members is to add value to their crop not to add cost. Through the size of our membership and the quality of our potatoes we have achieved a position in the market place where we can deliver these promises.

What we can offer ^

What we can offer Members

What does Nene do?

Nene is a farmer controlled business that was set up to market potatoes on behalf of its members. It employs a small team of dedicated people who have had many years of experience in the potato industry and who act in the best interests of their grower members. Our members’ expertise is in growing; our strength is knowing the market place and marketing.

What can we offer to members?

Being a member of a long established marketing organisation which is associated in the industry with quality and a high degree of integrity.
A team of experienced people who are dedicated to marketing the members’ potatoes to the best outlets for the relevant quality.
Access to market intelligence from people who are talking to the trade day in day out.
Being part of an organisation that has critical mass large enough to be influential in negotiating contracts, prices and delivery programmes that individuals may not be able to.
Direct access to markets that would otherwise be available only through merchants.
Access to contracts and prices that might not be available to individuals.
Being part of a transparent, open, information sharing organisation.
Payment for potatoes on the next payment run 28 days after delivery.
Credit insurance on customers.
Storage survey at harvest time; samples are collected from members every day of harvest and independently assessed for damage and quality. Thus a picture of the quality of potatoes in store is built up to assist in setting marketing programmes.
Regular quality monitoring wash ups through the storage season.
Someone else to take all the hassle associated with marketing, haulage, weight chasing, invoicing, credit control and rejections. The marketing of potatoes that do not make the premium outlets is difficult and time consuming. Through Nene you will have a greater range of outlets for this type of material.
A known cost to market your potatoes.
A share in the profits of a business which, you as members, own.

What we can offer Customers

A thorough knowledge of the potatoes they are selling.
A single point of contact for a large tonnage of potatoes.
A deep understanding of the quality of potatoes that their customers require.
Invitations to regular wash ups during the storage season.
Integrity and quality of service.
Contract, free buy or planned supply agreements.

Our members are committed to selling all of their potatoes through Nene. The team at Nene work closely with members in the planning of the potato crop from seed purchase through to the final delivery to customers. They thus have an intimate knowledge of the crop and are able to match and commit tonnage to customers’ requirements and become an important and integral part of their supply chain. Our customers know where their potatoes will come from even before they are planted and provided the quality is right they can be assured that they will get them.

As a minimum requirement all of our members are Red Tractor Assurance Certified and many have successfully completed other audits for Tesco and Leaf Marque. All members are Sedex registered. As a part of our Food Safety Policy pesticide residue testing by an accredited laboratory is carried out on a regular basis on members’ potatoes.

Technical Support ^

All potatoes marketed by Nene are Red Tractor Farm Assured Produce and many are also grown in accordance with Leaf Marque, Tesco and Sedex. We take the issue of food safety very seriously. Crops are regularly sampled to ensure that residue levels are not exceeded. Agronomic advice is given by BASIS and FACTS trained professionals using only controlled pesticide lists. Sustainable production is actively encouraged.

Regular sampling and QC checks through the harvest and storage periods helps to build powerful data and photosets helping to market the correct crop to the target market. Growers and customers are invited to regular wash-ups of stored samples throughout the season. Technical meetings, field visits and shared information on the latest industry innovations enable us to be at the forefront of meeting our customers’ requirements.

Independent evaluation of new varieties is carried out in a series of trials every year on a variety of soil types ensuring customer and consumer needs are met and our growers have varietal choice to suit their own unique conditions.

Our growing regions ^

Nene Head Office

Want to join our team?

Simply fill out our online form and submit your enquiry and we will get back to you as soon as possible.