The chip is back in town

A great British chip, needs to come from a Great British potato and it needs it to be fresh. Sadly many of the biggest chip brands currently on the catering market are imported and frozen. But now a British company is putting that right with the launch of its Fresh Chips, available through food wholesalers nationwide. The chips are marketed under the new Vale's Fresh brand, which is exclusive to the catering market. Not only do they taste better, they also fry better, absorbing less fat than the frozen imports.

Although a new name, Vale's Fresh has plenty of expertise and know-how behind it: it’s the foodservice brand of Greenvale AP, the UK's leading supplier of fresh potatoes. The company has been planning a launch into the catering sector for some time. Fresh Chips, the first in its Vale's Fresh foodservice range, are the result of extensive research into exactly what caterers want in a chip, from the shape to the shelf life - and not forgetting the taste.

The Fresh Chips are made from Britain's favourite potato, Maris Piper. Rather than being supplied in modified atmosphere packaging, they are vacuum-packed to give maximum protection, maintaining quality, freshness and taste.

Cut in the traditional British way - not too thin and not too fat - once cooked they're firm, have a crisp outside and are deliciously fluffy on the inside. The Fresh Chips are aimed at caterers throughout the market - from traditional fish & chip shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels to contract caterers.

"We've spoken to lots of caterers to get everything right - the flavour, the shape, the texture," says Jason Spires of Vale's Fresh. "But there were other very important considerations, including consistency, quality and availability. Greenvale's strong relationship with growers across the UK provides a guarantee of all three."

In independent tests, after cooking the Vale's Fresh chips had absorbed up to 50% less fat than major competitors' frozen, par-fried products, a factor that makes a major contribution to their crispness and taste.

Another significant benefit for caterers is the chips' ten-day shelf life (most fresh chips only last six or seven days). This is the result of the innovative 'five step' processing developed by Greenvale for the chips, which uses technologies such as hydro cutting to preserve their natural flavour and goodness.

For best results, Fresh Chips from Vale's Fresh should be deep fried for around four minutes. Alternatively, to save time at point of service, they can be blanched in the fryer, then fried off to order. They are available in a variety of catering pack sizes (2.5kg, 5kg and 10kg), via catering food wholesalers.

For more information and details of local stockists contact Vale's Fresh on 01945 469840. Greenvale's website is www.greenvale.co.uk