Fifteen months after Haith completed a new wash line for Scutt Farming, the specialist potato grower has enjoyed increased flexibility for marketing its produce, including supplying Morrisons.
Until this year Scutt Farming was selling all of its potato crop to fish and chip shops. A change in focus triggered by Coronavirus, when the lockdown forced its customers to close, saw Jonathan Scutt approach Morrisons, which now sells his potatoes in its Wonky Range.
Haith’s wash line at Scutt Farming’s 1,600 acre farm in Eastrington near Goole was commissioned in July 2019.
The process starts with a Haith Rota-tip S. Launched at LAMMA in 2019; the Haith Rota-Tip S has proved popular with farmers and packers looking to handle up to 12 boxes an hour. Like Haith’s other box tipplers, the S model is the perfect replacement for hydraulic tippers and boasts numerous unique features. The machine doesn’t lift the box, instead when in-situ, the Rota-tip pivots around a centre axis, so there’s no pressure on the box.
Extremely easy to use, reliable and safe, the Rota-Tip S is working incredibly well for Scutt Farming, says Ken Hollingworth, who oversaw the installation.”Scutt Farming is exactly the type of farm that we had in mind when we designed the Rota-Tip S,” he says. “The box isn’t ejected as with other models in our line-up, but Jonathan and his team don’t need this functionality, they wanted the most cost-effective solution to their needs and the S series is just that!”
Soil from the crop is removed by a fixed centre coil soil extractor with four sets of 750mm wide, 100mm diameter coil springs and a fixed speed three-phase shafted mounted gear drive.
The produce then enters a Haith Flume Destoner before entering a 3m x 900mm Supa clean Washer which can handle between five and 10 tonnes of produce each hour.
Haith recommended the Flume De-Stoner as it is ideal for effectively removing stone and clod at a rate of ten tonnes per hour while being cost-effective.
Haith developed its first de-stoner in 1968 and was the first fluidised bed de-stoner on the market. Today’s Haith’s Flume De-Stoner is the baby brother to the flagship Supa-Flume de-stoner which can handle up to 50 tonnes of 45mm crop per hour. It also features heavy-duty rubber stone discharge belt, energy-efficient close-coupled pump and external bearings throughout.
The crop is then washed in a three-metre Haith Semi-Submerged Washer, with a stainless-steel barrel and fully pintle lined barrel. The fully enclosed sludge removal ensures the machine is extremely easy to clean, and with external bearings, longevity is guaranteed.
Finally, the potatoes enter a Haith Sponge Roller Dryer, with 12, 1200mm wide sponge rollers. An integral drip tray ensures that none of the water from the crop hits the floor.
“Some people think Haith are only interested in working with the really big boys, but they’d be wrong,” says Jonathan. “We found them to be really passionate and committed to delivering the best solution possible and they took the time to visit us, learn about our business, our needs and come up with a solution which is perfect for us.
“Before this line, we were relying on a wash line that must have been 25 years old. It was obviously showing signs of wear and was never going to be as efficient as the modern line that Haith have designed and installed.
“The quality of our finished produce is so much better now. The new wash line from Haith has increased our flexibility, and it definitely helped us secure our contract with Morrisons. Supplying fish and chip shops is still our largest area, and we’re benefitting from increased throughput and better quality, which is fantastic!”
Haith sales manager, Ken Hollingworth, is delighted that things have worked out well for Jonathan and his team. “Scutt Farming is a fantastic business and has been working with fish and chip shops for years. It must have been a very worrying time for the team when the pandemic meant their customers had to close and we’re pleased that we’ve been able to play a small part in helping them win their new contract with Morrisons. We pride ourselves on the quality of our machinery and how they help growers present their produce in the best possible way.”
For further information about Haith and its range of vegetable handling equipment visit www.haith.co.uk
