Wolds Produce Ltd, in Pocklington, has completed the acquisition of leading potato seed supplier, WM Quarrie (Potato Marketing) Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. Established in 2004 by Simon Tootell and local farmer Simon Foster, Wolds Produce was set up as a potato trading business offering crops from the York area to packers. The company has grown to become a major potato supplier into the chipping, ware, and seed industries across the UK.

Over the last three years, its chipping operation has doubled in volume with customers supplying about 80% of all the chips in the UK market, including Walkers, Seabrook and Yorkshire chips. The business has also expanded its specialist potato seed production operation.

As part of its growth trajectory, it last year acquired 26% of WM Quarrie, run by Bill Quarrie and Stuart Fox, a successful independent seed business. The deal included a call option, which Wolds Produce has now taken up with the acquisition of the remaining shareholding.

Managing director Simon Tootell has worked in the industry since the age of 15, having started at Higgins in his hometown of Doncaster before moving to manage the pack house at RS Cockerill in York.

He said: “Back in 2013, we were supplying around 10,000 tons of chipping potatoes, 15,000 tons of free-buy ware sales, and 3,000 tons of seed – with a very small team. At that time there was still a lot of spot-market sales, but that has shifted massively over recent years with changing weather patterns making buyers move more towards the certainty of contracts. We looked at where we thought the industry was heading and took the decision to specialize in areas where we could see growth opportunities, namely focusing on expanding our seed and chipping markets.”

Seed director Graham Bennett added: “Following the acquisition of WM Quarrie, as well as investment in some key appointments over the last two years, in 2021 we will be supplying over 40,000 tons of potatoes into the chipping industry and have a seed business supplying over 15,000 tons, making us one of the largest independent seed suppliers in the UK. […] The addition of two such well-known and experienced seed professionals as Bill Quarrie and Stuart Fox will give another welcome boost to our specialist team.”