Buying Frieslander potatoes

If you want to buy Frieslander potatoes for a chip shop, cafeteria or snack bar, you need to know the right moment. At Friet van Beus in Zeewolde the Frieslander is available only in August, and then only for a few weeks. It bridges the short period in which the Agria from the previous harvest runs out and the new Agria is not quite ready. From September we cut Agria again. Below you can read why that window is so short, what the Frieslander does in the fryer and how to arrange your purchasing during those weeks.

1. A variety for the summer

For most of the year, from September to July, we work with Agria. It stores well and gives consistent chips for months on end. At the end of summer there comes a point when the stock in the store runs out, while the new Agria in the field still needs a little more time. That point falls in August, and that is exactly where we bring in the Frieslander.

The Frieslander is an early variety, which makes it one of the first to be ready. Even so, its role with us is deliberately small. As soon as the new Agria is good enough in September, we switch back. So count on a few weeks of Frieslander a year, not a whole season. How the rest of the year runs on the farm, from planting to storage, is described under the potato season.

2. What the Frieslander does in the fryer

The Frieslander is a true transitional potato. It crisps up quickly and keeps well, two qualities that come in handy during a short changeover. The tuber has white-yellow flesh and cooks up floury. In the fryer that gives a chip with a soft, full centre and a crisp crust.

Because it crisps up quickly, it pays to fry a test portion at the start of August. Sometimes a slightly shorter finishing time is all it takes. In September, when Agria returns, you run through your routine again. The differences between the two varieties are set out under Agria or Frieslander. The variety itself is described on the page about Frieslander potatoes.

3. As whole potatoes or as fresh chips

During those weeks, too, you can buy in two ways. The first is as whole potatoes: washed or scraped. That suits businesses that cut their own, because keeping the cutting in house saves costs. What buying scraped saves you in the kitchen is explained under peeled potatoes for catering.

The second way is as fresh chips. We cut them on Tuesday and Friday mornings, vacuum-pack them in 10 kg bags and our regular drivers then bring them to you. Nothing is added: no additives and no pre-frying. Fresh chips are delivered across the whole of the central Netherlands, and whole potatoes can be supplied nationwide. More about the delivery rhythm is under fresh chip delivery.

4. Planning your purchasing in August

A window of a few weeks calls for some forward planning. Let us know in July what you expect to need each week in August, and we will match the harvest and the cutting to it. If August brings you extra trade, for example from terraces, markets or events with your food truck, tell us that too. We handle the switch back to Agria in September; you do not need to do anything for it.

If you are a wholesaler supplying other businesses, let your customers know in advance that the chips come from a different variety in August. That way everyone in the chain knows where they stand. Call or message Thijs on 06 23972300 to buy Frieslander potatoes, or send an enquiry through the website. We agree prices with you personally, based on the form and quantity that suit your business.

Frequently asked questions