Frying high with new bespoke handling line

As a progressive processing partnership, operating to high standards in a demanding market, Mackie’s at Taypack made the decision to invest in a complete washing and handling line from Tong Engineering.

Based in the heart of the Perthshire countryside, the Scottish arable conglomerate farms over 600 acres of potatoes, for the production of hand-made luxury crisps. Over half the acreage is dedicated to growing specialist crisping varieties, including Lady Rosetta and Lady Claire.

“Our aim is to provide customers with quality crisps, produced using traditional and sustainable farming methods,” said Taypack’s director George Taylor. “We believe that by taking care of our crop and ensuring gentle handling, our products will be of the highest possible standard.”

“Before investing in new packhouse equipment, we fully outsourced our washing and handling responsibilities. However, with increasing demand for our products, it was necessary to look towards a more long-term option.

“With this in mind, we purchased a full washing and handling line from Tong. Featuring a fully-automated box tipper, coil cleaning system, bespoke vegetable destoner, vegetable barrel washer, screen grader, dual inspection tables and custom weigh-belt, the line allows us to prepare potatoes for frying, directly from the field.

“Gentle handling was a top priority for us, as crop bruising is common with crisping varieties, however it was also necessary to effectively remove stones to prevent machinery damage.

“Tong’s system allows us to completely remove debris, wash crop to an excellent standard and ensures gentle treatment of crop. This helps us to produce high quality crisps for our customers.

“I’ve been delighted with the whole service from Tong, from the initial specification stage to the creation of bespoke machinery, tailored to our exact needs.”

Nick Woodcock,  sales manager at Tong Engineering, said: “We were able to provide the complete solution to Mr. Taylor’s washing and handling needs. Customers often come to us with specific requirements and we work in partnership with them to create a completely custom product.

“As well as meeting requirements and working to set parameters, we’ve ensured that Mackie’s At Taypack is now able to effectively handle crop on site, using one simple automated process. This helps to ensure economy of resources, time and labour, while offering gentle crop handling and minimal maintenance requirements.”