CURRENT ISSUE
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| Potato People |
| Cover Story | |
| By John Krukowski and Erica Burke | |
| Monday, 28 February 2005 | |
 Canada’s Cavendish Farms targets restaurants and retail private-label customers with a new plant and value-added products. Late in 2001, Cavendish Farms acquired an Aviko USA potato processing plant in Jamestown, N.D. The 206,000-square-foot facility employs approximately 250 people and produces nearly 270 million pounds of frozen potato products annually, says Robert Irving, president and CEO. Irving says the purchase overnight made Cavendish Farms the fourth-largest processor of frozen potato products in North America. “The Jamestown processing plant enables our company to increase production capacity in the United States and pursue exciting new growth opportunities,” Irving says. [It was] a solid strategic fit with our existing potato processing operations.” Cavendish Farms also operates two potato-processing plants on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Vertical Integration Cavendish Farms’ Canadian operations are much more vertically integrated than its competitions’, Irving says. This allows the company great control over its product quality. “We have knowledge of what it takes to grow the best-quality potatoes, and process the best-quality french fries,” he says. Why is this significant? “Our niche is potatoes,” Irving says. He explains that, unlike some competitors that offer multiple food products, Cavendish Farms does nothing but spuds – more than 1 billion pounds of potatoes annually, in fact. This means that “we don’t have any other distractions. All of our energy is devoted to servicing the [potato] needs of our customers,” Irving says. Cavendish Farms’ commitment to its product begins from the ground up, Irving explains. “We harvest only superior-quality Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes, and we do it at their peak of flavor, firmness and overall quality,” he says. “We then inspect them to ensure only the best potatoes are used. Finally, our state-of-the-art equipment and processes guarantee product excellence – from harvesting right through packaging and delivery.” Because of its vertical integration and control over each step of the process, the company’s products feature several advantages over competitors’, according to Irving: • Cavendish Farms potatoes are noted for their high standards in color, taste and texture. • The potatoes have a high raw solids content. This means they cook faster, absorb less oil and have a longer storage time. • The products are available in a range of package sizes for users’ convenience. The company’s vertical integration also includes an extensive research and development program; all Cavendish Farms processing plants boast state-of-the-art labs and testing facilities. “To keep abreast of trends in the foodservice industry, bring new products and flavors to market and enhance the quality or characteristics of our existing products, we are committed to ongoing R&D,” Irving says. Cavendish Farms’ sales force, he adds, is capable of offering technical advice about product preparation to foodservice customers. “We’re always ready to provide additional information, such as nutritional content data,” Irving says. Coated Products According to Steve Buckler, vice president of marketing, the obesity epidemic and low-carb diets have affected potatoes’ popularity, and the industry is working on healthier potato products. Cavendish has answered the call with intensive R&D focused on non-hydrogenated oil that maintains its same flavor and crispness. Its Oven Crisp product, a retail product in Canada that has zero transfat and cholesterol – as well as low saturated fat – has been well received. “This is the direction we will continue going,” he says. “We’re committed to developing products customers are looking for and we’re working diligently to do so.” In the foodservice sector, Cavendish Farms relies on its expertise in potato growing and processing to satisfy its customers’ demands for higher plate yields, consumer-appealing flavors and competitive prices. Irving says an area of great interest among its foodservice customers is in added-value products, such as coated or battered potato products. In addition to their appeal to consumers, these products tend to have longer shelf lives than uncoated products. The Always Crisp french fry is an example of a recent Cavendish Farms innovation. Irving explains that company researchers developed a batter to better lock in heat and crispness. “Our proprietary process results in a french fry with unsurpassed holding times, unparalleled crispness and the ability to reheat without compromising product quality,” Irving explains. How does Irving know the fries will live up to these standards? Cavendish Farms’ research team put the new product through a battery of tests to simulate the worst-case conditions they might encounter in the real world. The tests included: • The bag test – A portion of Always Crisp fries were cooked and then sealed in an airtight plastic bag. After 10 minutes, with moisture building up inside the bags, the fries were not soggy but had retained their crispiness. • The take-out box test: – Fries were left under a heat lamp for 10 minutes, then sealed in a take-out box. Ten minutes later, the fries were still crisp and fresh-looking. • The microwave test – The fries from the take-out box test were allowed to cool completely, then reheated in a microwave oven for 20 seconds. According to Cavendish Farms, the fries were still crisp and tasty. This indicates the fries are ideal for the growing home meal replacement market, Irving says: “Consumers won’t compromise quality and freshness for time-savings.” • The heat lamp test – A portion of Always Crisp fries was cooked and then left under a heat lamp for several hours. Checked at various intervals, the fries maintained their attributes. “Even after several hours, they were still crisp and delicious,” Irving says. “That means incredible time-savings and less waste.” Adds Buckler: “French fries that remain crisp after a long period of time are perfect for concession stands, room service and take-out markets, and these are growing fast.” Irving says the Always Crisp product line is an example of Cavendish Farms’ “unrelenting pursuit of giving the customers what they want.” |
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