Alan Bartlett and Sons grows more parsnips than any other producer worldwide.

We begin drilling our parsnip crop in December and continue until May.

The first seed beds are covered in polythene to produce a fast-growing early crop ready for harvest in July.

Later crops are covered with deep straw to prevent the spring sunshine from warming the soil. This stops the roots from re-growing, enabling us to hold off harvesting until the following June.

Innovation from field to shelf

When it comes to harvesting, Alan Bartlett and Sons led the industry in reducing damage and bruising by selecting parsnips in the field. This enabled us to reduce our parsnip acreage and our carbon footprint, while also increasing sales.

To keep up with demand, we have the capacity to wash, grade and pack over 300 tonnes of parsnips every day at our Chatteris factory.

We have also undertaken extensive packaging trials, which means our parsnips now stay whiter for longer when they reach the shelf and are therefore more attractive to consumers.