Following this week’s news of a new potato-based mylk; Branston, one of the UK’s biggest potato buyers, packers, distributors and marketers with sites in Lincolnshire, Somerset and Scotland, recently announced the construction of a new factory specialising in the production of potato protein.
The new factory, in which Branston is investing approximately 6 million pounds, will process potatoes from the company’s regional growing areas. The plant is being developed with agri-tech start-up B-hive Innovations and is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Branston’s managing director, Richard Fell, explains, “Most people are aware of the healthy ingredients like fibre in potatoes, but they don’t think about the very nutritious protein content.”
Sustainable crops, locally sourced
Up to now, Branston has supplied potatoes in fresh or prepared formats such as ready-made French fries. The company is now expanding its portfolio with the construction of the new factory and wants to open up new market segments. Branston has set itself the goal of providing 100 % vegetable protein for companies in the vegan food industry in the future. The high-quality potato protein can be used, for example, for plant-based clean-label products with few ingredients.
Fell explained that the collaboration with B-hive will provide technology that can gently extract high-quality protein from potatoes. In addition, Fell highlighted, “We have the potential to meet the growing demands of food manufacturers for 100% plant-based protein that is allergen-free, fully traceable and sourced from our UK-grown crops.”
