About Two Farmers
TWO FARMERS BRAND STORY
In 2018, farmers Mark Green and Sean Mason successfully launched a sustainable crisp brand using the UK’s first biodegradable crisp packet. Launched in September 2018, the pair now fry 40 tonnes of potatoes each week; that’s enough crisps for a whopping 40,000 packets a day! With each Herefordshire-inspired flavour using local produce and production powered by waste from the farm, these two farmers have found a way for us to crunch with a conscience.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Just over eight years ago, longtime friends Mark Green and Sean Mason were sat in their local pub with a pint and a packet of crisps for their regular catch-up. Little did they know that this was going to be the start of something extraordinary. It took three hard years of effort to launch their challenger crisp brand.
As farmers, they knew they wanted to produce a crisp brand that celebrated local ingredients that could be made on their own farm and would be sustainable. The biggest challenge was, of course, the packet itself, and this took three years of trial and error to get to a stage where they were happy to launch it later in 2018. Sean comments, “We looked at boxes and tins before the fully compostable crisp packet materialised.
Our plastic-free compostable packaging is derived from sustainable cellulose, plus plant-based, biodegradable ink and glues and will decompose in a home environment between 26 and 38 weeks. A similar time frame applies when the packets meet seawater.
When we set out with these ideas in 2015, we had no idea that plastic usage would become such a hot topic.” Packets break down into water, carbon dioxide and biomass and can be used to improve soils, whilst leaking no toxins into the environment.
POTATO POWER
The whole operation uses Two Farmers' own potatoes. Mark is a potato farmer, and Sean is a potato merchant, so they certainly know their spuds! Potatoes are grown and harvested by the two farmers within two miles of the production facility, where they are graded, stored, cooked, and packed.
They now fry up to 40 tonnes of potatoes each week, with that number set to rise as they meet the fast-growing demand for this eco-friendly brand. At Two Farmers, nothing goes to waste, and thanks to an on-farm anaerobic digester, farm and crop waste, along with the potato scraps and peelings, produce the electricity which powers the fryers and production unit. T
his puts them way ahead of their competition and keeps their carbon footprint to a minimum.
FLAVOURS
The brand currently has six delicious and Herefordshire-inspired flavours in its range: Hereford Bullshot: Gently seasoned with spices and the delicious flavour of Hereford Beef. Salt & Cider Vinegar: Lightly salted and flavoured with Two Farmers own cider vinegar, made from apples grown in their Herefordshire orchards. Lightly Salted: Lightly seasoned with Droitwich Salt, which is harvested by hand from natural springs and crystallised using renewable energy.
Hereford Hop Cheese & Onion: Seasoned with deliciously sharp and sweet Hereford Hop cheese, made by artisan cheesemakers Charles Martell & Son, and onions that are grown on Two Farmers' Herefordshire farm. Herefordshire Sausage and Mustard: Seasoned with Tudges rare-breed pork and tangy mustard. Woodland Mushroom and Wild Garlic: With woodland mushrooms and a hint of wild garlic for a distinctive taste of the English countryside.
KEEPING IT LOCAL
Both Mark & Sean are proud Herefordians and very much part of the local community. One of their main aims is to source their ingredients as locally as possible to create flavours with a Herefordshire twist and to, keep food miles low and support their community. They source sausages from local producers Tudges, and Hereford Hop cheese from nearby cheesemaker Charles Martell and make cider vinegar from local apples. Initially, the pair really struggled to find a local producer of salt.
Having searched the UK, a serendipitous turn led them to find a new startup, just like themselves, Churchfield’s saltworks in nearby Droitwich, Worcestershire. Churchfields produce high-grade salt from natural brine springs and dry it using renewable energy. It was, of course, a perfect fit, and the two brands now work closely together.
PACKAGING
From packets to tape, all packaging elements are plastic-free, with the brand also offering crisps in 100% recyclable and reusable 100g and 500g tins. The brand now produces up to 40,000 packets of crisps daily, directly reducing the number of plastic packets being bought that take decades to decompose.
SUSTAINABILITY
For Two Farmers, sustainability efforts go way beyond packaging. Farm processes are powered by renewable energy, including energy generated by on-site solar panels. High-spec technologies are used to increase efficiency, and green cropping is carried out to protect and enrich the soil. Over five years, the farm has seen substantial savings in its bid to become carbon neutral, including a reduction of 21250KgCo2/year thanks to solar panels installed in 2022.
The brand continues to invest in innovation to stay at the forefront of sustainable packaging whilst increasing organic matter in soils and biodiversity at the farm, as well as planting trees. The aim is to reduce the business’s carbon footprint to net zero without any commercial offsetting.
CHALLENGES
As with all untrodden ground, research and development are continuous. As the UK first, the first generation packet took three years to get to the launch stage in 2018. In 2020, the pair launched a new-generation packet with an additional layer of cellulose which enabled the product to have an extended shelf life due to consumer demand.
Consumer understanding of biodegradable packaging is still in its infancy. This plastic-free and compostable solution retails at a premium price, and there has been a need to help consumers understand why the price point is higher than your standard bag of crisps.
ACHIEVEMENTS
This year Two Farmers returned to Glastonbury Festival to be the only crisp brand sold by traders throughout the event for the second year running - saving over 70,000 plastic packets going to waste. The brand now has a strong and engaged social community of over 41k brand advocates who help spread the message of why making plastic-free swaps is so important. The product price point has also presented challenges as the brand has tried to enter retailers; however, as consumers learn more about compostable packaging, the dial has begun to move.
Two Farmers now works with over 2,000 retailers, including Gloucester Services, Gail's Bakery, Harvey Nichols, Darts Farm, Chester Zoo, Eden Project, Bayley & Sage, Eurostar, and Google Head Office. After an audit and inspection in 2022, Two Farmers is proud to have obtained SALSA certification to confirm they operate to standards that are recognised and accepted across the industry.
In addition, the farm where the potatoes are grown, harvested, and stored is also certified by the LEAF Marque and the Red Tractor quality mark - this location is also where the AD plant is, which generates the power for the production unit. The compostable packaging is also certified plastic-free with the Seedling and OK Compost accreditations.
