Branston Ltd’s in a class of its own!

Branstons Jo Parish and Simon Telfer visited the junior school early last week to talk to children at a special potato assembly where they learnt about potatoes and why they are important for a healthy diet.

During the week, the children took part in a range of potato initiatives which included putting together potato-based recipes, cooking with potatoes and even science projects relating to potatoes!

Headteacher Mrs Rachael Shaw said: We really enjoyed the week of potato activities. We will also be growing our own potatoes, with Branstons help. We already have vegetable patches which we have put together and we are growing lettuces, radishes and tomatoes, so this initiative will fit very much with the work we are doing on food production already.

After the week of activities, Jo and Simon returned to the school to find out what the children learned about potatoes, and handed out seed potatoes and a pack of baking potatoes to each child.

Jo, Branstons account director, said: We have really enjoyed working with the school on this project, which has strengthened our existing links with them.

These young people are our customers of the future so we want to do all we can to encourage them to love potatoes. Its great that we are able to teach them a bit more about why potatoes are healthy.

Mrs Shaw added: We will be monitoring the growth of the potatoes and the school will be holding little competitions to find the largest potato.

The school, which has 168 pupils aged between seven and 11, is part of the Branston Community of schools which is aiming to get a Food for Life Award, a nationwide initiative which acknowledges schools focusing on food culture.

The pupils really enjoyed the week of activities. Ten-year-old Katy Allen said:

“I have really enjoyed learning about potatoes this week. It was interesting to learn about the different types of potato like Charlotte and King Edward. We also found out that  potatoes were the first food to be grown in space.”

Kobe Tong, also aged ten, said: I learnt that potatoes are made up of 80% water and that they are full of vitamins. I didnt know that before.”

About Branston Ltd

Branston Ltd was set up as a co-operative of Lincolnshire farmers in 1968. The company grew and became a limited company. Today, Branston is privately-owned and one of the UKs biggest potato buyers, packers and distributors turning over 110 million in 2008.

Branston has sites in Lincolnshire, Somerset and Scotland. Across the UK, the company employs more than 600 people, with over 300 at its Lincoln site. In 1990, Branston began working with Tesco and is now one of the supermarkets top fresh produce suppliers. Branston branched out into prepared vegetables in 2005 and opened its own 4 million prepared foods factory in 2009. Branston was the first food producer in the country to receive the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of its environmental initiatives, which have resulted in  a reduction in its carbon intensity over a three year period. In 2010, Branston will further grow its green credentials when it opens its anaerobic digestion plant that will turn waste potatoes into electricity, part of a 1.4 million investment in green technologies at its Lincoln site.