TWO local farmers who turned growing spuds into a successful crisp business are headlining at Greener Footprints Week event by outlining their own sustainable journey.
Mark Green and Sean Mason from Two Farmers Crisps near Sy Owen’s Cross will kick off proceedings by speaking at the event hosted by Herefordshire Council and Herefordshire Means Business.
The two are passionate about potatoes and when they met up in a pub whilst consuming a pint and a packet of crisps, the pair hatched a plan to honour and celebrate spuds and formed a business plan.
Two Farmers Crisps grow, harvest, store, cook and pack its crisps in compostable packaging, and the company maintains control throughout the process.
The duo have appeared on TV shows such as BBC Countryfile and Greg Wallace’s Inside The Factory to explain their sustainable vision, and supply the likes of the eco-friendly Glastonbury Festival.
Their website says: “"A second-generation farmer and founder of Two Farmers. For years Mark dreamt of making crisps from his very own potatoes. He wanted to produce something that would firmly cement Herefordshire on the foodie map.
"A fellow farmer and founder of Two Farmers, Sean’s day job as a potato merchant inspired him to protect the countryside around him. This sparked Sean’s desire to become the first crisp brand in the UK to launch a 100% compostable bag.
"Only the finest potatoes make their way into our crisp packets... All of our potatoes are graded on our farm which keeps our road miles low."
There will also be presentations led by other businesses in the network, like Wye Valley Brewery and The Courtyard, on issues that include electric vehicle provision, efficient waste management, energy saving initiatives and grant funding opportunities
The event was kicking off with a special networking breakfast event at The Shell Store at Skylon Park on Tuesday, June 11.
This is Greener Footprints’ second annual awareness week, the campaign joining the UK's national Great Big Green Week between June 8 to 16.
Across the week Greener Footprints will be sharing and showcasing what people are doing locally.