In September 2009, Terry Herbert made an astonishing discovery with his metal detector in a farmer’s field just outside of Lichfield in Staffordshire; now known as the world-famous Staffordshire Hoard, over 3,500 Anglo-Saxon items were unearthed, all gold and silver with precious stone decorations.
It was one of the biggest and most important finds for many, many years, but if Terry had continued to search the Staffordshire fields he would have found even more Staffordshire Gold, this time in the form of some of the country’s finest turnips and parsnips!
R&RW Bartlett, a fifth generation family owned farming, packing and marketing business, specialises in top quality root vegetables; specifically, parsnips and turnips. Owned and run by father and son team Roy and Rod Bartlett, the company has 600 acres of its own prime Staffordshire light land, renting out several hundred more acres as required.
Serving a broad customer-base, from small independent foodservice outlets and wholesalers through to some well known multiple supermarkets, R&RW Bartlett is committed to providing only the freshest produce. Indeed, good news travels fast (and far), with the company also supplying customers in Belgium, France and Holland. Vegetables are harvested on a daily basis in season, as early as 5.00am, travelling a short distance in a fleet of modern bulkers to reach the company’s state-of-the-art packhouse by around 8.00am. First customers receive deliveries as early as 1.00pm, just six hours after harvesting.
Striking Gold
Farm to plate in 24 hours, R&RW Bartlett’s parsnips and turnips were until very recently marketed and distributed throughout both the UK and Europe under the well known ‘Skipper’ brand. However, following the discovery of the Anglo-Saxon treasure just ‘down the road’, the company has decided to re-brand its produce as ‘Staffordshire Gold’.
As a matter of fact, parsnips and turnips are culinary gold for a number of good reasons. Parsnips are a fantastic source of fibre, particularly soluble fibre, which helps lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels constant. They also contain folic acid, the B vitamin shown to help reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Similar to potatoes, but much sweeter, parsnips, like potatoes, can be mashed, fried, boiled or baked. Some cooks regularly include a parsnip or two in their mashed potatoes.
Turnips are a versatile root vegetable that can be eaten raw (depending on their size) or cooked; more commonly cooked, lending themselves to a variety of preparations. They are delicious roasted (a process that mellows and yet concentrates their sometimes watery flavour at the same time), mashed, baked, or added to soups or stews. Turnips are also full of vitamin C. They add fibre to the diet and are a good source of vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium.
Ongoing Investment
R&RW Bartlett farm 750 acres of parsnips and 120 acres of turnips, with all crops grown to the strict standards of practice of the Farm Assured Produce Scheme. Furthermore, R&RW Bartlett produce is packed with the Little Red Tractor sign.
Always looking forward, R&RW Bartlett has a significant investment programme in place, constantly updating machinery to take advantage of technological advancements. Following a £500,000 investment in a new packhouse and state-of-the-art machinery in 2009, for instance, the company has this year invested in two new pre-packing units, allowing it to ‘stay ahead of the game’ in a fiercely competitive marketplace.
So although experiencing probably the driest spring in a hundred years, R&RW Bartlett has used its extensive irrigation system and associated technology to ensure that it can continue to offer its many clients a one-stop-shop for a wide range of high quality root vegetables, including, in addition to parsnips and turnips, potatoes, onions, brassicas and salads, sourced locally, nationally and internationally, according to the individual needs of its customers.
In fact, you could call it the Gold Standard!
To find out more, visit www.rrwbartlett.co.uk.
