We’ve only got one life, so have a crack — that is Peter Scott’s philosophy in life and it is one he followed when he took on a project that nobody else wanted. RICK BAYNE has the story.
Prince had Purple Rain, Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze and Peter and Sandra Scott have purple spuds.
The Scott family has been growing potatoes in the Otways for more than 70 years. It started with Peter’s father Keith, known as ‘DK’, and has continued over the past 45 years by Peter and Sandra.
The farm at Gerangamete trials different potato varieties and currently grows purple, red and yellow varieties.
The Scotts grew Kennebec potatoes for the fish and chip trade in Melbourne before changing to certified potato seed in the mid-1980s, but are now best known for DK’s Purple Potato Chips, named in honour of Peter’s father who started life as a woodcutter and ended up as a dairy and spud farmer.
The tradition continues today with Peter’s daughter running her own dairy farm, while Peter and son Dave manage the spuds and chips.
After many years of growing potatoes and running the dairy, Peter gave up milking cows in 2003 to concentrate on the potatoes.
When the chipping market slowed in the mid ’80s, they became certified seed growers, multiplying different varieties for the Department of Agriculture that were developed elsewhere and later sent to commercial growers.
And that’s where the seeds were sown for today’s purple chips.
“We got a couple of varieties that nobody wanted — the coloured varieties — but we felt there was a place for them,” Peter said.
“Now we’re involved with breeding the coloured varieties and will continue with breeding.”
The total farm is 243 hectares, with spuds rotating over about 30 hectares.
“It’s not volcanic, only bush soil, but you can grow good spuds here,” Peter said.
“Because we grow certified seed, we can’t grow it in the same ground year-after-year and have to have a rotational system.”
Part of the farm has been sold recently to reduce debt and free up capital to make the chip facility more efficient and reliable and to produce better chips.
In 2016, the Scotts manufactured three batches of chips that sold well enough to give the family confidence to have a go at it commercially.
“We only live one life, so I say have a crack,” Peter said. “If it doesn’t work out, at least you know you’ve tried.”
They approached existing chip companies to take up the idea of purple chips, hoping they would be attracted to a point of difference in the market. There was interest, but nothing eventuated.
After challenges in getting a permit to build the factory and then delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, DK’s chips started rolling off the assembly line on a commercial scale in March 2023, originally with purple chips and then more traditional white flavour.
However, production had to shut down for six months when potatoes being imported from South Australia couldn’t cook.
“Mostly we do our own spuds, but we still need a few bought in because of the growing seasons,” Peter said.
“We do all the white ones here but we need to have some of the purple grown elsewhere because they have to be processed fresh. However, we’re breeding a new purple variety that may be able to be stored so we could grow 100 per cent of the spuds here.”
The purple potatoes are rich in antioxidants and flavour and are simply washed, sliced and cooked in the processing plant. It has been a multi-million-dollar investment, with virtually all of the equipment manufactured in Australia.
“There is still a lot of money to be spent here. It is an expensive proposition, but we think it’s worth it,” Peter said.
“We’re always aiming to improve the product. We’re looking at a new system to keep the oil at a higher quality by removing soluble contaminants, and electric perforation to reduce oil uptake of the potatoes when you fry them.”
They make 90-gram packets which Peter says are good but 150 grams might be better for fruit and vegie shops and independent grocers. However, it would cost $50,000 to make that change.
There are plans for more automation in the processing plant to ease the burden on the three current staff members.
Peter also has long-term plans to produce all electricity on farm, using solar, batteries, wind turbines and electrolysis and hydrogen batteries.
“It would be complex and expensive but we think it would work and we can go to the market and say all our electricity is generated from renewables. We think there is a market for coloured potato chips and the consumer will support those who are prepared to invest in renewables.”
While the purple crisp potato variety is used for the chips, the farm also grows purple midnight pearl and crimson pearl for mash and salad, but Peter isn’t limiting himself to one colour and is currently investigating different red varieties.
Peter and Dave are happy with the path they have taken, even though they admit the road has been rocky and there are likely to be more bumps ahead.
“To have independence and to value-add is the way to go and we will keep improving as we can afford it,” Peter said.
“If we sent those spuds out of here raw, the gross would be less than 50 cents a kilo. Sending them out in a packet the gross is 10 times that. You’ve got costs but we’re confident in where we’re going, though there are still challenges.”
DK’s Potato Chips can be found in outlets in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and NSW and a few are being exported to Singapore.
“The market is growing. We’ve made mistakes in marketing but we’re learning. We’re in discussions with distributors but it takes time,” Peter said.
Most importantly, people like the purple chips, giving Peter confidence in the future.
“We didn’t make all this investment just to sell chips at local farmers’ markets, so we’re in it for the long-haul,” he said.
At 68, Peter has no plans to quit.
“I’ll be here till I die,” he says.
