Yorkshire Farmers Launch New Brand of Frozen Peas: Taking local to New Markets
Were all familiar with farmer branded artisan producethe likes of Will Chase behind the successful Tyrells Crisps ploughed the way for a myriad of value added produce that litter the finest selection in most supermarkets. But what about supermarket staples? Can independent farmers compete against stiff multinational competition? One group of Yorkshire Farmers are ready to rise to the challenge.
Matthew Hayward, a director of Yorkshire Peas, explains, Swaythorpe Growers wanted to move away from commodity farming into something we had more control over. Weve been growing peas for a wide range of customers and saw the rise in demand for locally produced food and thought that trend should extend to the freezer.
We aim for full transparency in farming and in our freezing. The peas are all grown by family farms based on the Yorkshire Wolds and then frozen locally at a facility owned by one of our growers. Were fully in control of every step of the process, so developing a brand seemed a logical & practical step to developing a new market.
Clearly, were taking on massive multinational competition, but I feel that local food should not be confined to some muddy carrots at the local Farm Shop. It should extend to how most of us cook, shop, and eat. What consumers dont always consider is that much of the frozen vegetable offering in the supermarkets are not British grown. So in developing Yorkshire Peas, were giving consumers a choice to support the British Farming industry.
Initial reaction to the brand from the supermarkets has been positive, and the team of farmers turned branders are in talks with a number of retailers.
Weve always been proud of what we grow, but selling peas with our name on the packet has genuinely taken farming to a new level for us. Developing something grown, harvested frozen and marketed by ourselves brings immense satisfaction. The peas taste pretty good too, if I can say so myself, concludes Hayward.