Tayto Are Terrific: Official

An iconic snack that stands out as an individual NI product across the world has received official Stormont approval as being both tasty and 'green' as well.

The Tayto Factory, which was founded in 1956 by Thomas Hutchinson and is still owned by the Hutchinson family, has just received the seal of approval from the Stormont Assembly’s Environment Committee for its environmentally friendly policies and practices.

The Tayto Group Ltd, has seen turnover increase six fold in five years to £140,000,000 and is now based across six sites in the UK. It has combined this phenomenal growth with high-tech environmental management systems minimizing the company’s impact on climate change and global warming.

On a visit to Tayto Castle, members of the Committee including its Chair, Dolores Kelly, MLA, Cathal Boylan, Deputy Chair and members Peter Weir, DUP and David Ford, Alliance, Alastair Ross, DUP, and John Dallat, SDLP examined the processes which allow Tayto to produce 5,000,000 packs of crisps and snacks per day while reducing energy consumption and water and waste emissions.

Committee members received a joint presentation from Tayto and The Carbon Trust which outlined how the group has integrated environmental considerations throughout its business planning processes.

The committee also heard that Tayto conducts business in compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, in a way that is protective of the health and safety of all of its stakeholders: customers, consumers, employees and the surrounding communities and environment.

Trevor Campbell of Tayto commenting on the committee's visit said: "We were delighted to welcome members of the Environment Committee to Tayto Castle and we were extremely pleased that we were able to show-case our facilities, which along with our policies and practices, are reviewed on a regular basis.

"We also explained how we set goals for continuous improvement in the environmental arena based on reducing specific usage of electricity, gas and water as well as reducing waste to landfill."

Dolores Kelly, Chair of the Assembly Committee, said: "We heard of the environmentally friendly measures which Tayto has employed in their business model and which are based on international good practice including leak reduction, Waste Heat Recovery and a potato starch recovery system.

"We were also very impressed with the company’s water recycling system, soil recovery system, and the fact that they had converted all oil burners to natural gas. It is inspiring that a local company shows environmental leadership particularly when we are all so deeply concerned about climate change and its impact on our lives."

As well as being in big demand across NI and the rest of the UK, Tayto crisps are often shipped around the world as gifts for NI-born consumers hungry for the individual taste of Tayto famous Cheese and Onion flavour potato crisps, in particular, especially at Christmas when fans from Australia to North America crave a taste of the iconic brand.

See: TAYTO

(BMcC/KMcA)