1980
34 growers join a ‘Premier League’ for potatoes; the Pembrokeshire Potato Marketing Group (PPMG). Its brand name and symbol was the Atlantic Puffin, which makes its summer home on Pembrokeshire’s Skomer Island wildlife reserve.
OUR HISTORY
Puffin’s roots are set deep in the Welsh countryside. Since the 1970’s we’ve been growing delicious produce and supplying a range of ethically sourced Welsh produce grown, picked and packed in Wales, to our loyal Welsh customers. We’re proud to continue to support Welsh farmers and the Welsh economy as a whole, working with our communities, growers and customers to ensure a bright future for Puffin Produce and Welsh produce as a whole.
1981
The PPMG worked hard to raise the profile of Puffin Potatoes, including Pembrokeshire Earlies, with clear quality control guidelines being created so only the best potatoes could go into the white Puffin bag.
1984
The PPMG holds its first Puffin rally for charity. Teams of Young Farmers race up 54 flights of stairs to the London Hilton’s rooftop restaurant, to be met by actor Derek Nimmo and a giant Puffin. A limited company is formed with 34 growers, the brand is called Puffin.
1986
Led by NFU president Patrick Edgington, the PPMG hires three marketing agents to sell all of the potatoes put in Puffin bags by the group. They sell every potato – around 35% of Pembrokeshire’s total!
1996
Launched as a limited company in 1995, Puffin Produce Ltd takes over the old Ansell Beer Depot at Withybush in Haverfordwest in 1996, creating up to 40 jobs and installing state of the art equipment. The Pembrokeshire Earlies season is now worth an estimated £10 million a year, much of it for the local economy!
2011
Market research reveals that Welsh shoppers want to buy Welsh veg. In response, Puffin launches its ‘Blas y Tir’ (‘Taste of the land’) brand.
2013
Pembrokeshire Earlies gain Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status, protecting the name and quality of these very special potatoes. This puts Blas y Tir Pembrokeshire Earlies up there with other top quality products such as Champagne, Parma Ham and Welsh Lamb.
Today
Today, Puffin Produce employs around 150 team members at our Withybush headquarters. We pack around 40,000 tonnes of Welsh potatoes every year, including our Pembrokeshire Early PGI potatoes.
Our Blas y Tir brand not only sells quality Welsh potatoes, but also a range of delicious Welsh seasonal vegetables.