Local produce doesn’t get much better than Yorkshire Peas
7th Sep 2011

If you have been watching the news lately then you will have probably seen a piece on this year’s pea harvest. British peas made the headlines all over the country due to the harvest commencing weeks earlier than expected. The warm weather and lack of rain that the UK experienced led to the crops maturing quickly and the beginning of the season also saw crops affected by frost damage. J E Hartley together with our pea group Swaythorpe Growers featured on The One Show and Calendar not only to discuss the early start but to also to highlight all the work that goes into producing our Yorkshire Peas.

But while the pea harvest was summed up by the local news correspondent, the staff at J E Hartley were out in the pea fields talking to the brilliant growers and checking the fields. Together, our Site Manager John Pick and Technical Manager Sheena Wright organise the season with military precision as well as tailoring the factory to process the product to each customer’s exact specifications. We believe that it is this kind of expertise that sets us apart. The growers themselves are experts in knowing when to plant and harvest their scrumptious Yorkshire Peas. They work night and day to ensure that the best quality peas reach us ready to be processed and frozen in under 150 minutes after they are harvested.

Working with our local growers means that the Hartley’s team can offer customers the right type of product whether it is a diced carrot that must meet a strict technical specification to a particular type of pea that tastes just right in a ready meal. While many new varieties of peas have been grown that will add to our ever expanding portfolio of products, more traditional varieties have proved successful and will be grown year after year such as Style and Ambassador.

Not only will this year see new varieties of vegetables but also interesting new product developments. Notably in the confectionary market which saw vegetables become one of the star ingredients in cakes, not just making them healthier but also helping them to stay fresh. While we welcome any product that uses vegetables, a cake in the J E Hartley office has no need for them considering they disappear quicker than you can say Yorkshire Peas!  Not naming any names of course…