Ballymakenny Farm, a family-run grower in Drogheda, is now partnering with Marks & Spencer to supply a unique range of locally grown heritage potatoes to stores across Ireland.

The Speciality and Heritage Irish Potatoes will be available on M&S shelves as of Thursday 4th September. 

The fourth-generation farm is run by husband-and-wife team David and Maria Flynn.

Inspired by a desire to try something different, Maria shifted the farm’s focus from commercial potatoes to distinctive heritage varieties.

The venture, which began as a passion project, quickly grew into a thriving business, winning over top chefs and carving out a niche in the hospitality sector.

Every bag of potatoes is harvested, picked, packed, and even hand-stamped on the farm itself.

A Growing Partnership

Maria noted that since they had previously only supplied restaurants, the public was unable to buy their potatoes. "When we met with M&S, it felt like a no-brainer," she said, as the partnership allows them to reach customers across Ireland.

The M&S launch will begin with the Purple Rain potato, with other varieties like Pink Fir Apple, Red Emmalie, and Mayan Gold rotating throughout the season.

Shaun Doherty, Senior Agronomist at M&S, said the partnership allows the company to "help in growing the future by preserving the past and introducing that bit of magic with speciality and heritage varieties."

The launch marks an exciting new milestone for Ballymakenny Farm, bringing their much-loved potatoes to home cooks across Ireland.