14.07.03
Objective One Helps business to produce 'Lizard chips'

Objective One investment from Cornish Horticultural Enterprises (CHE) is enabling a mobile fish and chip company on the Lizard to expand their operations through the purchase of premises and equipment to make their own chips from locally grown potatoes.

Sid and Dorothy Rosevear have operated their popular mobile fish and chip shop for five years, making regular visits to the villages of St Keverne, Ruan Minor, Manaccan and Gweek.

Looking for a way to improve the quality of their product whilst at the same time improving their business's efficiency and profitability, the Rosevears realised that the use of 'home made' chips made from potatoes grown on their own land would offer the company significant cost-savings as well as a valuable promotional tool.

The £18,243 project, towards which the Objective One gateway fund CHE has invested £7,298, has enabled Sid and Dorothy Rosevear to expand their business through the construction of a purpose built potato processing and storage facility as well as the necessary potato preparation and chipping machinery to produce their truly Cornish potato product.

In addition to tempting the taste buds of the mobile fish and chip shop's customers the couple are hoping to branch out into the catering supply business, selling their Cornish uncooked chips to local hotels and restaurants, for which they will buy in additional potato supplies from local growers to meet demand.

Sid Rosevear said: “As a small business the Objective One investment was invaluable and has helped us to establish our business on this new site. The purchase of the equipment and the new facilities means we can now use our freshly lifted potatoes throughout the summer. Growing our own potatoes reduces costs, increases quality to our customers and provides us with a great deal of satisfaction.

“We discussed the project with Roger Whilding the facilitator at CHE. We found the whole process from application to grant payment efficient and accessible.”

Roger Whilding said: “We were delighted to be able to assist in this project and help towards developing a small business which is providing an important service to a very local community. The company has already grown rapidly since it started up five years ago and now employs two local women on a part time basis, we hope that the increase in capacity and diversification into catering supply will secure a profitable future for the company.”

David Rodda, senior agricultural co-ordinator for the Objective One Agricultural Development Team, said: “This is another good example of Objective One being used to add value to local produce. It shows that opportunities do exist to develop local market outlets for local produce and is a model for other catering outlets in Cornwall.”

Editor's notes:

European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)

EAGGF is one of the four funds that make up the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which is making £314 million of investment available to support the local economy between 2000 and 2006.

EAGGF aims to:

Jason Clark
Communications Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
jason@dclark.co.uk

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