Back in the 1940's potatoes were in short supply and yet they were a staple part of the British people's diet.
The post - Second World War years meant a frugal existence and rationing for a nation recovering from total devastation.
In the Cambridgeshire Fens one man saw an opportunity to market farmers' fresh produce to this hungry and receptive population.
Russell Burgess Ltd. was formed in 1946 to market potatoes and fresh produce grown on farms in the Fens.
The eponymous Russell - an innovator with foresight and vision - was the company's largest shareholder and energetic motivator. Not only had he identified a major gap in the marketplace, he also proved to be the precursor of modern marketing techniques in the fresh produce supply chain.
As the nation found its feet and grew so too did our company. In April 2000, Russell Burgess Potato merged with Sutton Bridge Limited to form Solanum Ltd: Sutton Bridge was part of the Potato Marketing Board before being acquired in the mid-1990's by new shareholders. Like Russell Burgess they too had a wealth of experience in the world of potatoes.
The merger of both organisations allowed the new Solanum to enjoy immediate economies of scale as well as become considerably more customer-focused, and to allow greater investment in research and development.
Today Solanum is recognised as a leading UK supplier of top quality potatoes to blue chip retail multiples and major food processing companies.
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