Did you know most chips are not made in Ireland?

Upforthematch

I was amazed to discover this lately.

This includes fast food chains, supermarket chips and even many local chippers who don't make their own.

We are a country synonymous with the spud and yet ten years ago there was not one company in Ireland that produced chips.

There are at least two of them now
Wall's honest chips, a company based in Cork who stock fresh chips in Aldi and Supervalu
And Meade Rooster chips, a company based in Meath who stock frozen chips in most supermarkets.

Irish farmers - why hasn't there been a campaign about this like there is for Irish Beef & Chicken?! Love Irish Chips!

The market for irish potatoes has halved in the last ten years and here are we importing over 120,000 tonnes of potatoes per annum for chips, it's just madness.

screamer

Upforthematch wrote: »

I was amazed to discover this lately.

This includes fast food chains, supermarket chips and even many local chippers who don't make their own.

We are a country synonymous with the spud and yet ten years ago there was not one company in Ireland that produced chips.

There are at least two of them now
Wall's honest chips, a company based in Cork who stock fresh chips in Aldi and Supervalu
And Meade Rooster chips, a company based in Meath who stock frozen chips in most supermarkets.

Irish farmers - why hasn't there been a campaign about this like there is for Irish Beef & Chicken?! Love Irish Chips!

The market for irish potatoes has halved in the last ten years and here are we importing over 120,000 tonnes of potatoes per annum for chips, it's just madness.

Yes I’ve known this for a long time. You can buy a kg of chips cheaper than you can buy a kg of potatoes so it makes sense when you think about it. Disgraceful at the same time that junk food is cheaper than real food and that we import something made from our staples which could well be produced here.

EmmetSpiceland

screamer wrote: »

Yes I’ve known this for a long time. You can buy a kg of chips cheaper than you can buy a kg of potatoes so it makes sense when you think about it. Disgraceful at the same time that junk food is cheaper than real food and that we import something made from our staples which could well be produced here.

So, you’ve known all this time and didn’t say anything? I guess that makes you a...spec-tater.

Treppen

Upforthematch wrote: »

I was amazed to discover this lately.

This includes fast food chains, supermarket chips and even many local chippers who don't make their own.

We are a country synonymous with the spud and yet ten years ago there was not one company in Ireland that produced chips.

There are at least two of them now
Wall's honest chips, a company based in Cork who stock fresh chips in Aldi and Supervalu
And Meade Rooster chips, a company based in Meath who stock frozen chips in most supermarkets.

Irish farmers - why hasn't there been a campaign about this like there is for Irish Beef & Chicken?! Love Irish Chips!

The market for irish potatoes has halved in the last ten years and here are we importing over 120,000 tonnes of potatoes per annum for chips, it's just madness.

Different type of spud, so Irish farmers mostly specialise in the boiled variety. Roosters, Kerr's, Records, Wonder etc

Man with broke phone

The irish potato is too good for chips. Although slice them into thin circles dip them in warm oil and throw them in the air fryer at about 180 for 15 mins and its a lovely side for steak.

ongarite

I'd guess it's because we don't grow the variety of potato, Moris Piper or Russet in large enough quantities.
Irish consumers prefer Queens, Roosters, etc..

Water John

ongarite wrote: »

I'd guess it's because we don't grow the variety of potato, Moris Piper or Russet in large enough quantities.
Irish consumers prefer Queens, Roosters, etc..

Cart before horse there. Farmers will grow any variety of potato, if there's a market.
TMK years ago there was a manu plant in Donegal. But one of the multiples screwed them into the ground.

Upforthematch

Man with broke phone wrote: »

The irish potato is too good for chips. Although slice them into thin circles dip them in warm oil and throw them in the air fryer at about 180 for 15 mins and its a lovely side for steak.

Luxury product opportunity here like!

Irish butter
Irish cheese
Irish milk
Irish lamb
Irish beef

etc...
etc...

why not Irish chips - given the world links Ireland and the potato together in any case, it would be a start.

Interesting type of chip, made in Ireland, served in most chippers/restaurants, bingo!

strandroad

What happens at a typical local chipper then? Are they frozen :eek:

Water John

A real chipper would cut inhouse, but then the potatoes may be sourced abroad via a wholesaler.

BTW Grass fed Irish Beef is being applied to the EU for PGI status;
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/irish-grass-fed-beef-pgi-application-bulls-excluded-with-travel-limit-inserted/

Then you can insist on Irish steak and chips.

whisky_galore

This should hardly come as any great surprise.

Randle P. McMurphy

I honestly don't give a fiddlers fvck where they are made.

Upforthematch

strandroad wrote: »

What happens at a typical local chipper then? Are they frozen :eek:

A lot are definitely, when you hear Supermacs making a big deal out of making the chips in house that's a hint.

Out of interest, I googled 'chipshopcatering.ie' and it clearly says on the website our potatoes are grown in the UK and Spain.

http://www.chipshopcatering.ie/potatoes/

Now don't get me wrong, I know that Ireland doesn't have a comparative advantage in producing something like cars, but I honestly thought that potatoes would have been one we would have been self-sufficient with!

Del2005

Upforthematch wrote: »

Luxury product opportunity here like!

Irish butter
Irish cheese
Irish milk
Irish lamb
Irish beef

etc...
etc...

why not Irish chips - given the world links Ireland and the potato together in any case, it would be a start.

Interesting type of chip, made in Ireland, served in most chippers/restaurants, bingo!

Chips aren't considered a luxury product, no matter how much skin is left on it! Are spuds of any type considered a luxury product?

kenmm

strandroad wrote: »

What happens at a typical local chipper then? Are they frozen :eek:

Yes. Also a lot of the Italian chipper brands use ****e fish as well.

Irish chippers are often a complete disappointment (compared to Scottish or English ones for example).

Quantum Erasure

I think Holland is where most come from,

kenmm

Treppen wrote: »

Different type of spud, so Irish farmers mostly specialise in the boiled variety. Roosters, Kerr's, Records, Wonder etc

Never been a fan of those Roosters. Dunno why people go mad for them.

ciano1

Upforthematch wrote: »

A lot are definitely, when you hear Supermacs making a big deal out of making the chips in house that's a hint.

When I worked in Supermacs, I distinctly remember the chips arriving in boxes with 'Product of Belgium' printed on the side. Occasionally we'd get french ones in too. They all tasted the same once they were sprinkled in the aromat salt that they use

paul71

Its opportunity cost.

Of course Irish farmers could grow cheaper varieties of potatoes but why should they.

They can make more money per acre from Diary or more expensive potatoes.

Atlantic Dawn

Minimum wage is too high to be arsing about making chips.

Beechwoodspark

strandroad wrote: »

What happens at a typical local chipper then? Are they frozen :eek:

The like of the big multiples
Burger King
Supermacs
McDonald’s
KFC

Are definelty frozen

A lot of independent chippers use frozen too - I avoid them and give my custom to proper chippers

Supermacs chips are fairly woeful - shame on mcdonagh as an Irish operator

Beechwoodspark

ciano1 wrote: »

When I worked in Supermacs, I distinctly remember the chips arriving in boxes with 'Product of Belgium' printed on the side. Occasionally we'd get french ones in too. They all tasted the same once they were sprinkled in the aromat salt that they use

Shameful from mcdonagh

kenmm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Minimum wage is too high to be arsing about making chips.

It doesn't take long really. 1-2 hours per day for a typical chipper. A bit more in the winter when the spuds are off season.

But generally the economies of scale kick in for other reasons plus they are happy to put out an inferior product (because people happily lap it up).

Shame really, I'd pay a bit more for a decent chipper, but I know of none in Dublin area really.

pah

The potato is not native to ireland

Beechwoodspark

kenmm wrote: »

Yes. Also a lot of the Italian chipper brands use ****e fish as well.

Irish chippers are often a complete disappointment (compared to Scottish or English ones for example).

Yep and a lot of them use the cheapest of the cheap frozen burgers as well.

The color Grey with a nasty after taste doused in cheap mayo/tomato sauce.

The Tetrarch

About 50 years ago shiploads of seed potatoes went from Ireland to countries around the eastern Mediterranean.
I think they grew them and shipped the crop back to the UK as early potatoes.

IAMAMORON

I know a fella gets his beef dripping sent down from the north, he told me he gets his off his brother and doesn't pay an ounce of import tax on it.

I reported him.

He also said that Tudors were nicer than queens or GW's for deep frying, he is right though.

ILoveYourVibes

I don't like potatoes.

harr

My local Italian chipper makes his own chips from scratch but I have no idea where he sources his spuds .. cooks them in lard as well ..

Harry Palmr

Ireland imported 70000 tonnes of potatoes in 2017, that's your actual spuds not potato based product like chips and crisps. Ireland is in thrall to milk and beef, nothing else else much matters now. It's why "market farming" for veg is practically dead.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Intel make chips in Leixlip.

Water John

The highest rental paid for agricultural land is for growing potatoes. Potatoes cannot be grown repeatedly on the same ground for disease reasons.
That means potatoes are only grown on tillage land that also grows grain.
There is a bit of work in making chips in house. When cut they are kept in a tub of water to prevent them colouring and to de-starch them.

IAMAMORON

I haven't had a McDonalds since Christmas and I just started craving their mancky skinny soggy powdery chips. Phuck it anyways.

Gregor Samsa

screamer wrote: »

Yes I’ve known this for a long time. You can buy a kg of chips cheaper than you can buy a kg of potatoes so it makes sense when you think about it.

Hence the term "cheap as chips".

Top tip: Glue the chips together to form an inexpensive potato, then boil it.

Thelonious Monk

Personally i think the potatoes we mostly grow in Ireland are disgusting. Stringy and mushy. The lovely waxy ones you get on the continent are way better.

paul71

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Ireland imported 70000 tonnes of potatoes in 2017, that's your actual spuds not potato based product like chips and crisps. Ireland is in thrall to milk and beef, nothing else else much matters now. It's why "market farming" for veg is practically dead.

Which tells a story, if there was more money to be made from the cheaper potatoes then farmers would grow them. There isn't so they don't, btw beef is loss making as stand alone, but as its a by product of diary thats why its done.

JohnnyFlash

harr wrote: »

My local Italian chipper makes his own chips from scratch but I have no idea where he sources his spuds .. cooks them in lard as well ..

Where is that? Extremely unusual occurrence these days.

kenmm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Where is that? Extremely unusual occurrence these days.

Ye, I'll wager it's not one of those sh!tty ITICA ones for sure.

Beechwoodspark

kenmm wrote: »

Ye, I'll wager it's not one of those sh!tty ITICA ones for sure.

The ITICA ones all seem to use the same cheap industrial catering stuff.

Gaspode

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

So, you’ve known all this time and didn’t say anything? I guess that makes you a...spec-tater.

Come on folks, that pun deserves a lot more likes. Well done that man!

Water John

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Personally i think the potatoes we mostly grow in Ireland are disgusting. Stringy and mushy. The lovely waxy ones you get on the continent are way better.

If you want a quality potato, wait until later in the year for Golden Wonders. Don't use it to make chips. The waxy ones are really for making chips, usually Maris Piper.

Capt'n Midnight

Even Intel are going to TSMC in Taiwan to make chips.

TSMC are planning a 4nm process, and Samsung are considering jumping to 3nm
That's ever thinner than McDonalds chips :eek:

kenmm

Water John wrote: »

If you want a quality potato, wait until later in the year for Golden Wonders. Don't use it to make chips. The waxy ones are really for making chips, usually Maris Piper.

Or the Cypriot ones in early season.

Water John

Golden Wonder would be a late maincrop and not very high yielding. That's why they cost a bit more. Didn't know they were imported?

whisky_galore

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Hence the term "cheap as chips".

Top tip: Glue the chips together to form an inexpensive potato, then boil it.

Cheap as reconstituted potato starch.

Water John

The best potato option I ever had was in Wellington. A boiled in its jacket potato, smashed on a griddle/hotplate and butter/butteroil added.
A city that hadn't really any takeaway chippers. Lots of good places to eat casually and very good quality. We're over dependent on them.

purplepanda

Maris Pipers are the best for chips, I have done extensive testing & have been designated the family's chip cooking expert after years of research.

timthumbni

harr wrote: »

My local Italian chipper makes his own chips from scratch but I have no idea where he sources his spuds .. cooks them in lard as well ..

Why are some of youse going on about Italian chip shops? Is that a big thing in the republic?

kenmm

timthumbni wrote: »

Why are some of youse going on about Italian chip shops? Is that a big thing in the republic?

There was mass migration of Italians to the UK and Ireland in the early parts of the 20th century and after WW2.

Out of work, a lot of them opened cafes, ice cream parlours and chip shops.

For some reason, the ones in Ireland have (mainly) evolved into some lazy, cheap (as chips!) 2nd rate chain of chippers (ITICA) that sell frozen food, pre battered (and I suspect frozen) fish and take little pride in serving decent food.

This is not my experience in other parts of the British Isles, where fresh fish is normally served cooked to order (freshly battered) and often with freshly cut chips (although frozen chips are popping up as well).

I never eat from an Irish chipper, I have yet to find a decent one - its often one of the first things I do if visiting Scotland or NI.

Beechwoodspark

I suspect the ITICA ones buy wholesale and stock from the same sources

They all seem to use the cheapest industrial sized tubs of tomato sauce and mayo and the food is interchangeable

The likes of the burgers chicken burgers fish etc all seem to be same in any of those chippers. All frozen.

And often a lazy, couldn’t give a damn attitude

kenmm

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

I suspect the ITICA ones buy wholesale and stock from the same sources

They all seem to use the cheapest industrial sized tubs of tomato sauce and mayo and the food is interchangeable

The likes of the burgers chicken burgers etc all seem to be same in any of those chippers.

For sure - but you can get economies of scale and make the food a bit better - its not like there aren't enough fresh fish companies in Dublin alone (for example, other fish companies exist in other parts of the country I am sure!).

There is no (ahem) appetite to change this as the tills are ringing and the people that eat that muck are obviously happy to do so.

For anyone that had a 'Fish supper' in Belfast, Scotland or probably north England, the difference is night and day!