Chips with everything - but do you have the right gear to cook them in?
Heading for National Chip Week
Consumption figures show that chips remain the most popular form of eating potatoes with around 22,000 tonnes of potatoes used to make chips every week.
National Chip Week, organised by the British Potato Council (BPC) aims to celebrate the Great British Chip with a calendar of promotional events throughout the country. Consumers will be targeted via high profile national and regional media stunts, designed to raise the profile of the national's number one dish.
Last year, press and media coverage gained exposure worth £650k, 14 times the BPC spend.
How can you get involved and capitalise on this huge promotion?
* Apply for free point of sale material like bunting, balloons and posters bearing the slogan 'Love Chips'.
* Organised a quiz night in your establishment - linked to chips of course!
* Organise a children's drawing competition - with chips as the theme.
* Promotion packs will be issued on a first come, first served basis so, get cracking - write the number on the information card.
www.potato.org.uk
British Potato Council
Well oiled
Anglia Oils has revamped the Prep range with bright new yellow packaging and a new quirky Prep Man character.
The Prep range of oils, in bright yellow containers, include Prep Ultra, long life vegetable oil; Prep Maxi, liquid long life vegetable oil and Prep Multi, extended life vegetable oil.
All Prep oils feature the Chip-O-Meter, a visual which explains each oil's fry life.
All Prep products are suitable for vegetarians.
Anglia Oils
Cubed and wedged
The latest offering from Lamb Weston are Mild Curry Wedges Skin On and Seasoned Crispy Cubes with herbs.
The Mild Curry Wedges Skin-on are cut from a whole potato and then coated in a mild curry batter.
Seasoned Crispy Cubes with herbs are potatoes lightly coated with seasoned batter and herbs.
Both products can be fried, oven-baked or grilled.
Lamb Weston
Chips with everything
IMC has launched the new potato chipper, the PC2.
In designing the new model, the main aim has been to produce a quality potato chip, time after time, with minimal wastage. The machine has been revamped and now has a stylish new appearance.
One of the main advantages of the chipper is that the blades can be changed quickly and effectively by means of a one piece knife blade pack.
At the PaCo Fish & Chip and Chinese Takeaway in Tring, the PC2 has proved invaluable in chipping up to 50 bags of potatoes each week and has been in daily use.
IMC
Make a smart choice
3663 First For Foodservice has extended its own brand range 3663 Smart Choice with the launch of new Freeze Chill Fries.
Produced from the Bintje potatoes to 'A' grade specification, the fries offer consistent length, good plate coverage and a crisp golden colour.
The chips only take two minutes to fry from chilled. They can be kept, unopened, in chilled conditions for up to five days and are suitable for freezing or refrigerating.
Available in a convenient and economic 6 x 2.5kg case size, the range includes Julienne Fries, Steakhouse Fries, 3/8in, 7/16in and 9/16in.
The company also offers an extensive range of french fries and chips from McCain and Farmhouse Choice such as Straight Cut, Beefeater and Spicy Wedge Fries.
3663 offers cooking oils by a host of brands such as Mazola, Prep 2 in 1, Anglia, Flora, Napolina and Amore, as well as two types of cooking oil, under Smart Choice, its own label product - Extended Life Vegetable Oil and Hi Life Oil.
www.mymarket.com
3663
Currying flavour
And now for something completely different - Curry Flavoured Oven Chips from Belfield Farms, under the Cream of the Crop label.
The chips have the authentic chip shop curry taste without the need of buying or making a curry sauce.
They cook in the oven for about 20 minutes and are available in 680g bags.
Other products include Spicy Potato Wedges, American Oven Thin Fries and Carrot & Swede Mashed Potato.
Belfield Farms
Lighten up
McCain Foods has produced "Lights" which are classic style chips but with 33 per cent less fat - so they will prove popular with weight-conscious customers.
To help you produce the best tasting chips, McCain has developed a Best Fry Practice programme with advice on cooking McCain products. For example, you should check the product temperature to prevent poor quality fries and store at below -18¡C to avoid product clumps and poor colour after cooking.
But it's not only about cooking. As Anne Sonley, McCain Foodservice Technical Support Manager, says: "Caterers also need to manage their own profit potential by storing and looking after their product effectively from receipt of delivery through to final cooking."
McCain Foods