Adding herbs to flavour meals

Camstar Herbs is one of the largest producers of dried parsley in Europe, with 3,000 acres dedicated to the crop. Premier Foods buys 65 tonnes of parsley each year to use in a broad range of products such as Paxo Stuffing, OXO Cubes, Batchelors Cup A Soup, Batchelors Pasta N Sauce and Bisto Parsley Sauce.

All Camstar growers are Red Tractor approved, which ensures high standards and means their crops can be traced to the British farms they came from. Our UK grower prides itself on getting the crop from the fields to the factory in less than 30 minutes where the parsley is carefully dried to capture its flavour and colour before it is passed to us to use in our recipes.

One of Camstar’s largest sites is Chestnut Farm in East Anglia which grows parsley between July and November. The site is carefully managed to protect the soil from the damage which can be caused by heavy agricultural practices. Instead, the ground is only lightly ploughed and the crop is planted using a corn drill to ensure minimal soil disturbance. Oats and radishes are grown on the land through the winter to encourage aphid eating invertebrates for spring, reducing the need for pesticides.

Andrew West, a key grower from Chestnut farm, says: “Herbs like ours can transform a product, elevating it above the every day. We’re proud of our attention to detail and commitment to sustainable production, principles we share with Premier Foods. It’s great to know our parsley is playing a key role in so many famous products.”