Firm’s new product in stores

Airdrie vegetable firm Albert Bartlett is now supplying three products from its new chilled range to Sainbury’s branches across the country.

The supermarket this week began stocking oven-ready homestyle fries and chips made from its Rooster potatoes.

Shoppers will also be able to purchase packs of diced and seasoned Parmentier potatoes.

It comes after the firm, based at Stirling Road in Glenmavis, launched a new £17 million chilled product factory and development kitchen – which was officially opened last month by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The development received a £4m grant from the Scottish Government, as well as investment from HSBC.

Head of marketing Michael Jarvis told the Advertiser:“We’re delighted to announce the first Albert Bartlett branded chilled range.

“It complements the own label lines we’ve been producing since we opened the plant in September.

“On our branded range, we exclusively use UK-grown Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes.

“We control the whole process from the raw potatoes to the finished product in our UK premises.”

The company says its new development “has created 35 new jobs and safeguarded 50 more in Airdrie”.

Representatives add that Albert Bartlett now processes“almost a fifth of the fresh potatoes sold in the UK”.