Albert Barlett Rooster Potatoes
Welcome to the home of Rooster potatoes
About Albert Bartlett
Albert Bartlett is Britain’s leading grower and packer of potatoes. A family business for more than 60 years, we are fiercely committed to natural farming with minimum interference.
Our company slogan: ‘Naturally Grown, Naturally Tasty’ underpins everything we do. We strive to provide value and quality, achieve excellence in environmental care, as well as innovate and excite consumers.
Several industry accreditations have come our way as a result of our commitment to the environment and sustainability.
We not only agree planting, and agronomy with our growers, but also irrigation, harvesting and storage. We monitor insect activity to minimise our use of pesticides and use advanced technology to conserve water and lessen our impact on the environment.
Our Locations
Airdrie
Our Airdrie packhouse is arguably the most modern and environmentally friendly facility of its type in Europe. Rainwater is collected from the factory roof for use in the washing process, and dedicated lines enable the water and soil residues to be recycled.
Robot technology improves safety and efficiency while Hydro coolers remove field heat, reduce condensation and extend the shelf life of our new potatoes.
Boston
Our Boston site was added to the business in 2006 following the acquisition of another business.
The site provides a regional packing base for all of our potato products and is supplied with crop from our dedicated grower group and from our own production.
Our team grow a selection of potato varieties at Euston Estates including the famous Rooster and Vivaldi.
Jersey
Our new state-of-the-art packhouse is situated on the outskirts of St.Helier. This multi-million pound facility can wash, hydro-cool and pack the highly-prized Jersey Royal within hours of it being harvested, so they arrive in store some two days fresher than previously possible.
Hand-planted and seaweed-fertilised as they have been for 100 years or more, our Royals are specially grown for us by a dedicated group of island farmers.
Our Environment
On The Farm
We aim to produce naturally tasty, healthier food grown in a way that enhances the natural habitat and handled in a way that uses a minimum of resources.
The whole farming operation represents a model of Integrated Crop Management.
We monitor insect activity to minimise the use of pesticides, we manage irrigation to limit water use and we employ temperature control rather than chemical gassing to suppress sprouting. We encourage wild flower field margins to protect and encourage wildlife and have adopted a lengthy six-year crop rotation programme to optimise soil health. Our growers are all proud custodians of the land that they farm and are advised by our own highly qualified in-house team.
At The Factory
As a company we aim to steadily reduce our ecological and environmental footprint. We took a major step towards achieving this ambition in November 2003 with the opening of our state-of-the-art factory in Airdrie, Scotland.
This new facility was designed and built with the environment in mind. And over 25,000 trees have been planted on this 56 acre brownfield site.
Modern energy and building management systems enable us to tightly control our consumption of electricity, gas and water.
70% of the water used in the potato washing process is rainwater harvested from the roof with the remaining 30% being provided by our own borehole.
All our sites have comprehensive recycling programmes, not only for card, plastic and food waste, but also for organic and conventional used water and soil. No industrial waste leaves our factories for landfill.
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Albert Bartlett is a corporate member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust – the largest charity working exclusively for the protection of all of Scotland’s wildlife. With a membership of over 33,000, SWT directly manages over 124 wildlife reserves across Scotland (from highland estates to urban greenspaces), they encourage partnership working in the wider countryside and lobby on environmental issues at Holyrood and Westminster.
Wind Turbine Project
Planning permission has been granted for us to install a 2 megawatt wind turbine at the Airdrie Site. This will supply the entire energy requirements for the packhouse. North Lanarkshire Council planning committee have recently granted 25-year consent for a 126 metre turbine. The wind turbine will generate 2MW of electricity meeting all our electricity needs. Our turbine is being put up to off set our impact upon the environment and to make us more efficient and more competitive.
Work will commence 2011.
Our History
Our past
Founded in 1948, Albert Bartlett invested £30 in an old water boiler and cast iron bath to set up a small beetroot boiling operation in Coatbridge, Scotland.
In 1957 Albert and his two sons, Jimmy and Alex, expanded their operations and found a site on Watt Street in Airdrie, Scotland.
Bartlett’s Airdrie site then became the first factory in Britain to pre-pack carrots in “poly” bags.
In 2002 we opened our state-of-the art headquarters on Stirling Road in Airdrie.
Albert Bartlett is now Britains’s leading supplier of potatoes.
Albert Bartlett today
Albert Bartlett is run today by the third generation of the family. All who are involved with Albert Bartlett are fiercely proud of its achievements. With great investment in our business over the last four years, we now supply one in five of the UK’s fresh potatoes. The business has grown from its Airdrie base and now includes two futher packing sites. One in Boston in Lincolnshire and the other outside St. Helier on the island of Jersey.
The group now employs over 700 full time staff and works with a dedicated group of farmers which stretches from Cornwall to Inverness and now also includes 10 on the island of Jersey.
Our state of the art Airdrie pack-house is a model of environemtnal design. We have invested in robot technology to improve safety and efficiency. Water conservation measures include rainwater and borehole collection, as well as dedicated recylcing channels for conventional, organic and imported produce.
Our second UK packing operation in Lincolnshire handles crop from our dedicated grower group and from land farmed by ourselves in neighbouring Suffolk. Our team grow a selction of potato varities at Euston Estates including the famous Rooster and Vivaldi.
In Spring 2009, we opened a state-of-the art pack-house on the island of Jersey. The famous Jersey Royal is grown here for us by a dedicated group of island farmers. The facility can wash, hydro-cool and pack the highly-prized Jersey Royal within hours of it being harvested, so they arrive in store some two days fresher than previously possible.
The Rooster Potato
As well as being Ireland’s most popular potato, the Rooster is now a runaway best seller in mainland Britain.
It is easily distinguishable by its red skin and shallow eyes. It has a floury yellow flesh which has unique all rounder properties. It is an amazingly versatile potato which is perfect for boiling, mashing, steaming and baking. Our packaging features recipes specially created by two of Britain’s very few ‘2 Michelin Star’ wining chefs.
The Albert Bartlett Rooster potato has received many prestigious awards including ‘Best Fruit or Vegetable Product’ at the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence awards. Albert Bartlett has also earned acclaim for its innovative marketing of the Rooster potato and won the Re:Fresh Pr3 Marketing Campaign of the Year in 2010.
The Rooster potato is also available as an organic option in several stores.
The Rooster Recipes
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
400g extra lean lamb mince, beef mince or turkey mince
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or chopped
2 tsp tomato puree
450g canned chopped tomatoes
300ml vegetable stock
1 slug of Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
2 tsps of dried oregano,
I tbsp mango chutney (optional)
Drain the potatoes, then mash with the milk using an electric whisk until smooth. Season with pepper.
In a large pan over a medium heat, dry fry the minced meat until browned. Drain off any excess fat, then add the onion, celery and garlic and fry for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, Worcestershire sauce, herbs and mango chutney (optional). Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Reduce the heat, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Place the meat in an ovenproof dish. Spoon the mashed potato mixture over the top and texture the top with a fork.
Either grill (broil) until lightly browned, or pop into a preheated oven at 200c / 400F / gas mark 6 for 20.
Once the potatoes have cooled remove from the water and peel, then cut into large dice.The potato should still be firm and undercooked. In a large frying pan, heat up the oil and then add the potatoes, shaking the pan to make sure they colour evenly. Cut the smoked bacon into large dice and add to the pan. Lightly season with salt and generously with pepper. Once the potato and bacon have coloured, drain and place into an ovenproof dish.Cover the potatoes with the sliced Reblochon (do not remove the skin of the cheese). Place in an oven at 180C for 15 mins
and then under the grill for a few seconds to completely melt and brown the cheese.
675g/ 1 ½ lb Rooster potatoes, washed with the skin on and very thinly sliced
1 large onion, peeled very thinly sliced
1 large leek, washed and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
200ml/7 fluid oz of chicken stock
Butter a pie dish and arrange the potatoes in layers with the onion and sliced leeks adding plenty of black pepper as you go.
Arrange the top layer potatoes in overlapping slices, dot with the remaining butter and pour in the stock. Press the potatoes down firmly.
Bake for 2 hours or until the potatoes are tender and the top browned.
200g Smoked bacon
500g Reblochon cheese* (You can also use a good soft cows milk cheese)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Onion peeled
2 Eggs
3 Tablespoons plain flour
Half teaspoon baking powder
8 Slices smoked salmon
4 Tablespoons sour cream
1 Bunch chives chopped
Salt, Pepper, Vegetable oil
2 Little gem lettuce cut into quarters
2 Very ripe plum tomatoes de-seeded
1 Clove garlic peeled and crushed
Half lemon squeezed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 Teaspoon castor garlic
3 smoked mackrel fillets
1 onion, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbs fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 lemon rind, grated
1 tbs crème fraîche
25g plain flour for dusting
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 Large Bunch of Basil Leaves Roughly Chopped
150g Sundried Tomatoes, cut into small pieces
300g Good Buffalo Mozzarella, cut into 5mm pieces
2tbs Olive Oil
60g Organic Unsalted Butter
3 Organic Onions
3tbs Vegetable Oil
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme Leaves
Salt and Pepper
2. Peel and thinly slice the onions. Heat1tbs of the vegetable oil in a heavy based saucepan, add 20g of the butter and heat till foaming. Add the sliced onion and cook over a low to medium heat till the onion is a deep golden colour. Tip the onion onto a plate to cool.
3. Pre heat the oven to 190°C/375𫀰F/Gas 5
4. Coarsely grate the potato into a large bowl, season with freshly ground pepper, add the caramelized onions and mix carefully.
5. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat till almost smoking, add the remaining butter and heat till foaming. Add the grated potato, and flatten into a cake with a fish slice. Continue to heat over a medium heat till the edges of the cake start to turn golden brown, this should take 10 min. With the aid of a fish slice flip the cake over in the frying pan, return the pan to the heat for 5min, shake the pan gently to make sure the cake is loose and not sticking. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 30min until the cake is an even golden brown.
6. Slide the cake onto a warmed plate and cut into wedges.
2 Celery Sticks finely diced
2 Onions finely diced
1 Clove of Garlic crushed
2 sprigs of Rosemary
75g Butter
4 Large Chump Chops
150ml White Wine
650ml Good Lamb or Beef stock
8 Rooster Potatoes thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper
15g Melted butter
200g Thinly sliced streaky bacon
100g Grated Gruyere cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F/220°C or Gas mark 7.
2. Butter the baking dish, arrange the bacon onto the bottom and sides of the pan. Allow the bacon to slightly overhang the edge of the dish.
3. Wash the sliced potatoes and dry in a towel.
4. Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes onto the bacon and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat, creating two additional layers of potato and cheese. Fold the overhanging bacon onto the potatoes.
5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes, test the potatoes are cooked by piercing them with a knife.
24 Bay Leaves
6† Sprigs of Rosemary
4† Tbs Olive Oil
75g Butter Salt and Pepper
8 tbs Olive Oil
50g Soft Butter
2 Cloves
Crushed Garlic
2 Sprigs of Rosemary Leaves Chopped
Plain Flour for dusting
Salt & Pepper
Juice from Lemon (Optional)
2. Combine the crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, butter & lemon juice.
3. Part boil the potatoes in salted water till two-thirds cooked. Drain & leave to cool.
4. Lightly dust the cooked potatoes with the flour so they are evenly coated.
5. Heat a roasting tin with the olive oil, add the potatoes then place in the oven for approx. 45 minutes until tender.
6. Remove the tin, then add the garlic, rosemary and butter, gently fry for 1 minute until potatoes are
4 Large free range eggs
100 ml Milk
200g Goats cheese (*You can also use Boursin or Mozzarella cheese)
6 Spring onions
2tbs Oil
Salt and pepper
2.Par boil the potatoes and cut into thick slices.
3. Beat the eggs and milk together.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan, add the potatoes and fry till the potatoes are lightly coloured. Pour in the egg mix, break the goats cheese into walnut size pieces and place onto the eggs and potatoes. Sprinkle over the spring onions and place into the oven for 25 minutes.
5.Turn the tortilla out and serve hot or cold. Try serving with a tomato and basil salad drizzled with good olive oil.
600g Undyed smoked haddock
1 Onion finely chopped
3 Leeks sliced
750 ml Water 7
5ml Double cream
25g Butter
4 Spring onions sliced
Bouquet Garni
2. Lift the haddock from the pan, remove any skin and bones, flake the haddock and return the skin and bones to the water and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Strain the fish stock.
4. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the washed and sliced leeks, cook till just soft, add the potatoes and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Add the fish stock and simmer gently till potatoes are tender.
6. Add the double cream and bring to the boil, add the haddock, check for seasoning.
7. Divide into bowls and sprinkle the spring onions on top.
4 tbs Chopped herbs, parsley, chives, tarragon and marjoram
100g Fresh White Breadcrumbs
125g Smoked Streaky Bacon Cut into small pieces
3tbs Vegetable oil
1 Egg White lightly beaten
Olive Oil + 50g Butter melted
6 Cloves
Peeled Whole Garlic
8 Whole Baby Roosters
16 Bay Leaves
600ml Good Chicken
Stock Salt & Pepper
4 tbs Olive oil
1/4 tsp Ground cumin
1/4 tsp Ground coriander
1/4 tsp Paprika
2.Place a roasting tray into the oven and leave till tray is very hot.
3. Pour the oil into the tray, arrange the potatoes in a single layer onto the tray, return the tray to the oven and roast the potatoes till golden brown, turning once or twice.
4.During the last 5 minutes of cooking sprinkle the spices over the chips.
5. Remove potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt and serve with garlic mayonnaise or your favorite dip.
650g Baby Roosters
4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
25g Butter
1 Red Pepper, Halved & Deseeded
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed
12 Black Olives
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley Salt & Pepper
8 Chicken Legs
12 Whole Garlic Cloves
650g Medium Rooster Potatoes cut in wedges
1 Bay Leaf
1 Sprig Rosemary
2 Whole Unwaxed Lemons 400ml Good Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
12 Baby Rooster Potatoes
75g Butter Softened
Salt & Pepper
2 tbs Vegetable Oil
8 Spring Onions
50ml Milk
125g Unsalted Butter
50g Freshly Grated Parmesan
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
2. Wash & Dry the potatoes and rub with vegetable oil.
3. Arrange the potatoes on a roasting tray and place in the heated oven for 1 hour approx. (Test with a thin knife and remove when soft.)
4. Wash and slice the spring onions.Melt 25g butter in a saucepan; add the onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook gently until the onions are soft, and then remove from the heat.
5. Halve the potatoes lengthways, and remove the flesh with a spoon, being careful not to break the skin.
6. Crush the potatoes with a fork, add the remaining butter, milk, salt, pepper and spring onions.
7. Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato skins, sprinkle with grated parmesan and place onto a baking tray, then brown under a hot grill.