Company History

From a farmers’ co-operative to a leader in fresh produce...

1968

The Beginning

The Beginning

A group of farmers collaborate to grow and market potatoes and peas – Branston Potatoes plc is formed and for the next seven years the growers produce potatoes – mainly for processing.

1976

Processing to Wholesale

Processing to Wholesale

The drought forces investment in irrigation, and this along with new machinery and careful variety selection leads to a gradual shift from processing to wholesale.

1980

Environmental Control

Environmental Control

Branston invests heavily in environmentally-controlled storage.

1982

Business is Growing

Graeme Beattie joins as Managing Director. Volume grows to 15,000 tonnes a year. We celebrate... our first retail customer (Gerrards).

1986

Prepack

Prepack

Our first prepack potatoes are produced.

1987

Grading Potatoes

Grading Potatoes

We begin size grading potatoes and now employ around 80 people.

1988

Retail Growth

Supermarkets gain ground, wholesale suffers... but no supermarket would take us seriously without a modern factory. We welcome nine more North Lincoln growers to the co-op.

1990

New Factory

Branston invests £1m in a new packing factory.

1991

Tesco

Tesco

Branston starts packing for Tesco.

1992

The Branston Company

The Branston company becomes Branston Potatoes Ltd.

1993

Seed Potatoes

Seed Potatoes

We become partners in a seed potato business.

1995

Expansion Continues

Expansion Continues

As volume increases (up to 38,000 tonnes now) we extend our Lincoln factory.

1997

New Site

We acquire our South West site and volume leaps to 75,000 tonnes.

1998

Website

Website

Launch of our first website.

2001

New Logo and New Office

New Logo and New Office

A strategic alliance with WCF potatoes in Scotland, a new logo and new offices.

2002

We Get Lean

We bring in world-renowned McKinsey & Co to implement Lean production principles throughout our factories.

2003

Storage Project

£1.1m cold storage project.

2004

Our Scottish Site

Acquisition of our Scottish site in Perth - we now have three great, well positioned sites across the UK.

2005

Branston Prepared Foods

Branston Prepared Foods

Branston Prepared foods starts producing ready-to-cook veg.

2008

Carbon Trust Standard

Carbon Trust Standard

Branston becomes the first food producer in the UK to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of our ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon intensity.

2009

Green Technologies

Green Technologies

£2m investment in green technologies – Anaerobic digestion and an integrated water recycling plant help us reduce cost and carbon.

2011

Additional Green Investments

We invest £1m in a water recycling plant at the South West site.

2012

Waitrose and Booker

We start supplying two new customers - Waitrose and Booker.

2013

Carbon Trust Water Standard

We’re one of the first companies to be awarded the Carbon Trust Water Standard.

2014

Treading Lightly Award

We receive a Treading Lightly Award from Waitrose for Carbon Reduction.

2016

Peeling Facility

New Peeling facility opens at our Lincoln site.

2018

50 Years!

We celebrate - 50 years in potatoes!

2019

We Start Supplying Sweet Potatoes

2020

Key Workers

Our Key Workers rally to ensure production continues throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

2021

Protein Extraction Plant

Protein Extraction Plant

Work starts on Protein extraction plant and Prepared factory expansion.

2022

Prepared Extension

Prepared extension adds more cooking options and expands our product range.