Local production commenced within the next two years, with McCain processing Australian grown potatoes at a rate of 20,000 tonnes a year at a time when the French fry market was still in its infancy.
All of McCain's potato products are made from 100% real potatoes grown on farms close to our facilities, which are spread across the country in New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Alberta.
What types of potatoes do you use for your products? At this time, our McCain branded French fries are made from a variety of potatoes: Shepody, Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank which are all white potatoes. Most recently, we have added Sweet Potatoes.
The company employs approximately 1,100 people, operates in Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand, and is administered by its head office in Wendouree, Victoria. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of McCain Foods Limited, a Canadian-based frozen food manufacturer.
McCain Foods Limited is a Canadian multinational frozen food company established in 1957 in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada. It is the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato products.
Simplot Australia's range of high-quality and well-known food brands can be found in all major supermarkets and they are one of the largest suppliers to the foodservice industry. They are the last remaining provider of Australian-grown frozen and shelf stable vegetables of any scale nationwide.
Golden Fries is Australia's most-loved frozen french chips, as our company uses top-quality Aussie potatoes to make mouthwatering crispy chips the way, we love to eat them.
100% Australian Grown - We re very proud of our 100% Australian grown vegetables from Aussie farmers like Matthew, James, Justin and Michael. Carefully picked and snap frozen, our vegetables provide you with great quality produce, no matter what the season.
McCain's Australia is headquartered at Ballarat, Victoria where it operates a plant (frozen potato products, pizza and meals). Plants are also situated at Penola, Southeast Australia (French fry products); and Smithton, Northwest Tasmania (potato products and vegetables).
100 Circle Farms' Story
100 Circle Farms grows potatoes in circles so big they're visible from space. Then our trusted processor, Lamb Weston, cuts them into fries at 70 miles per hour.
Our World Famous Fries® are made from quality potatoes, including Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Umatilla Russet and the Shepody. The suppliers we work with first peel, cut and blanche the potatoes. They then dry, partially fry and quickly freeze the fries for our restaurants.
Based in the Adelaide Plains region of South Australia, Mitolo Family Farms supplies a range of produce to Coles, including Carisma, Gourmandine and Red Royale potatoes. Frank began learning the ropes from his father, Bruno, in his early teens.
While prepared potato imports have fluctuated over the last six years, peaking in 2011-12 at $133 million, New Zealand was the major source of Australia's prepared potato imports, occupying 51% of the market in 2013-14.
Potatoes are a cool season vegetable, which require a mild, frost-free growing season with regular rainfall or irrigation. They are grown in the coastal, tablelands and Riverina districts of NSW. The coastal potato growing districts are located between the Great Dividing Range and the Tasman Sea.
Most of the frozen veggies are also sourced from Aussie farms, but some are imported from other countries like Belgium, China, France and New Zealand. ALDI's facilities producing its in-house brands are audited against the Global Food Safety Initiative-recognised standard.
Our farms are located in some of the most natural growing regions in Australia. Here our vegetables are picked at their prime, then lightly blanched, before being snap frozen to lock in taste and natural vitamins & minerals as nature intended.
Birds Eye is an American international brand of frozen foods owned by Conagra Brands in the United States, by Nomad Foods in Europe, and Simplot in Australia.
We only use the highest quality potatoes to create those delicious strands of crispy fluffiness that you love, now fried in a superior and healthier blend including canola and sunflower oils. Available after 10:30am at participating restaurants.
Waterlogged or diseased potatoes cannot be sold. Other issues included delays to harvesting and planting due to the weather. And the skyrocketing costs of fuel and fertiliser have forced some growers not to plant potatoes.
Kettle Foods is unaffiliated with the Kettle Chip brand sold in Australia which is owned by Snack Brands Australia.
We are committed to picking Australian-grown fresh fruit and vegetables first. Of course, if they're not in season, not grown here or there simply isn't enough to go around, we sometimes have to look further afield.
New Zealand's year
With freshness as their number one priority, New Zealand now had McCain produce from their very own farmland.