Nationwide Produce has announced an exclusive partnership with Albert Bartlett to sell a new range of ‘Albert Bartlett Chef Signature’ potatoes into non-retail outlets including food service, catering and wholesale. While the potatoes will be marketed through Nationwide into its traditional customer base, Group Managing Director Tim O’Malley emphasises that the ultimate customer will be chefs.
He said: “We expect that these potatoes will very soon become a favourite among chefs, and that they will be asking for them by name. Quite simply they will deliver a level of taste, consistency and quality which hasn’t been seen before and will make their lives so much easier.
“The Albert Bartlett brand has been pioneering for consumers and we anticipate that this partnership will do the same in the non-retail sector.”
Launch activity for the range will include a competition for chefs run in conjunction with Michel Roux Jr. Chefs will be invited to upload their recipes using the Albert Bartlett Chef Signature range to Social Media. The prize for the best entry will be a meal for two at Le Gavroche together with an overnight stay in London.
The packaging for the new range brings a new level of branding to the sector. There will be four products initially offered:
- Albert Bartlett Rooster – a great all-rounder and a tremendous success in the consumer sector
- Brushed Albert Bartlett Rooster Chipping Potatoes – specially stored to make great chips
- Albert Bartlett Elfe – the ultimate baking potato, so naturally buttery and sweet that there’s no need to add butter
- Albert Bartlett Alexandra – a new premium, yellow-fleshed Mediterranean style salad potato
Michael Jarvis, Head of Marketing for Albert Bartlett said: “We have been providing top quality produce since 1948 and pride ourselves on our delicious potatoes. Albert Bartlett is an independent, family-owned company and all of the packs in the Chefs range carry the signature of Alex, great-grandson of our founder. We are delighted to be partnering with Nationwide and are confident that the country’s chefs will be impressed with our products.”