| News
Fairfields Farm flying high with new Virgin Atlantic deal
Artisan crisp brand , Fairfields Farm will join the mile high club this week as its brand new 20g grab bags hit Virgin Atlantic cabins across the world in a three-year deal .
F airfields Farm started supplying the airline with its parsnip crisps in December . The crisps , which were enjoyed in Upper Class cabins , proved hugely popular , prompting the airline to offer the brand across all cabins to all destinations .
“ We are incredibly excited to be working with Virgin Atlantic and for our crisps to be enjoyed by travellers all over the globe . We ' ve developed these new 20g bags of our Lightly Salted hand-cooked crisps especially for Virgin Atlantic and we are very excited to be able to reach a whole new customer base with this contract ,” explains Robert Strathern , founder of Fairfields Farm .
“ Aside from the quality of our crisps , which are all produced on our family farm from our homegrown potatoes , it was also our eco-friendly ethos that attracted Virgin to our brand ,” continues Robert . “ We use 100 % renewable energy on the farm , whilst our Lightly Salted crisps are also gluten free and vegan-friendly making them perfect to appeal to a whole range of customers .”
Mark Anderson , Executive Vice President – Customer , at Virgin Atlantic said , “ We ’ re always on the lookout for exciting brands that we can work alongside to provide our customers with an amazing onboard experience . The team at Fairfields Farm run a fantastic , sustainable business and produce a delicious product – a perfect fit for us .”
The first bags of Fairfields Farm Lightly Salted crisps will be served up in cabins from Thursday 1st February . The deal translates to thousands of bags a month being enjoyed on Virgin flights .
The new 20g format bags will also be available to other retailers and food service operators from February . “ This new format is perfect for pubs , trains and airlines as they are small and easy to store . We expect them to prove hugely popular with a range of customers ,” adds Robert .
For more information about Fairfields Farm visit www . fairfieldsfarmcrisps . co . uk
Organic conversion
With the window for organic conversion payments now open in England , how can Soil Association Certification support farmers in organic conversion ?
N atural England is offering financial support to farmers and landowners converting to organic , through its Countryside Stewardship offer . The funding application window is now open for both mid-tier and higher-tier payments .
Application packs for Higher Tier must be requested by 9th March and submitted by 13th April . Application packs for Mid- Tier must be requested by 31st May and completed by 31st July 2018 .
Liz Bowles , Head of Farming at the Soil Association , said : “ This is a really good time to convert to organic . The launch of the Government ’ s 25 Year Environment Plan this month confirmed what we ’ ve been hearing from Michael Gove for some time : that there is going to be a renewed focus on preserving and enhancing our environment , and a commitment to protecting our soils . Farming is going to need to play an integral role in achieving this , and the fundamental principles of organic – such as enhancing our soil health , working with our ecosystems , and caring for our environment – are wholly in line with the ambitions being set out by government .
“ We also know that the public demand is there for organic produce – people are becoming ever more aware of how their food is produced , and we ’ re now in our sixth year of consecutive market growth for organic in the UK , so there are good opportunities for farmers who want to meet that demand .”
Soil Association Certification certifies organic farmers , offering a comprehensive and competitive support package that can assist farmers through their conversion period . Belmont Farm started the process of converting their beef and lamb production in 2016 . They sell rare breed meats , and their pork is already certified organic .
Henry Rossiter , Belmont Farm Estate Director , said : “ Our choice to certify with the Soil Association was based primarily on the organisation ’ s place in the market and on its wider educational and campaigning role . At the end of the day the Soil Association is the most-recognised organic certifier , world-wide , and its strict rules on animal welfare are important for our customers . We deal directly with our customers , which makes all the difference . We hope this will inspire people to learn about food and where it comes from . ”
The Soil Association Certification business support package includes :
· A dedicated Certification Officer , offering practical and proficient support throughout the life of your certification
· Use of the UK ’ s most widely recognised organic symbol , used on more than 70 % of UK organic products
· Supply chain support , including free access to the Food for Life supplier scheme
· Discounts for farming programmes such as Innovative Farmers
· Free marketing support for key organic campaigns , such as Organic September
· Support from our policy teams , who campaign for farmers on important issues , directly to Government
If you ’ re thinking about converting to organic , find out more about organic certification and conversion at www . soilassociation . org
06 | Farming Monthly | February 2018 www . farmingmonthly . co . uk