Friday the 6th of October was Bord Bia’s National Potato Day and Dino's family chip shops celebrated the fact that all of the potatoes they use to make chips now come from within a 30km radius of their chip shops. From October, Dino's chain of seven chip shops across Cork display the Bord Bia Quality Mark along with photographs of local Blackwater Valley potato growers to communicate to consumers that all of their potatoes come from local, Quality Assured, potato suppliers.
Dino’s Family Chip Shop, which is managed and run by three generations of the Cregan family, has grown to operate seven chip shops in Cork - Ballincollig, Bishopstown, Blackpool, Douglas, Grange, Turners Cross and Kinsale.
Dino (Denis) Cregan, Founder of Dino’s Chip shops said, “Since we opened our first chip shop in 1970, our philosophy has always been ‘you are only as good as your last bag of chips’ so the quality of the potatoes we use is crucial. We have always sourced from local suppliers where possible, but this new partnership with Blackwater Valley growers means that all of our potatoes will be of the highest quality and will be grown from within a 30km radius of the chip shop which is something we are really proud of.”
Blackwater Valley chipping potatoes are grown by 15 potato growers predominantly in Cork and Waterford, and are packed and distributed by Meadowfresh, who are based in Tallow, West Waterford. Over the last two years, these growers have increased production of chipping potatoes by 40%. In 2022 over 50,000 tonnes of chipping potatoes were imported but Blackwater Valley growers plan to increase production in the next two years, replacing at least 15% of these imports to supply the local market.
The move comes on the back of an ongoing initiative by Bord Bia, Teagasc, IFA and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to increase the volume of home-grown potatoes being produced by Irish growers for sale in Irish chip shops.
Lorcan Bourke – Bord Bia’s Sector Manager for Fresh Produce and Potatoes said, “Bord Bia research has shown that 2 in 3 Irish people assume (incorrectly) that the potatoes used to make the majority of chipper chips come from Ireland, when in fact, the majority of chipping potatoes are imported into Ireland each year. We are delighted to see Dino’s proudly display the Bord Bia Quality mark and images of local growers across all of their chip-shops from this week. The Dino/ Blackwater supply chain is a ‘local food’ supply chain initiative at its very best and therefore scores high on ‘low food miles’ and sustainability” The more consumers become aware of the origin of the potatoes used to make their chips, the greater the market opportunity for Irish potato growers.”