Essex crisp makers are flying high after clinching a three year deal with Virgin Atlantic.

20g grab bags of Fairfields Crisps, made at Wormingford, near Colchester, by potato farmers Laura and Robert Strathern, will now be offered across all cabins and all destinations by the airline.

The firm started supplying the carrier with its parsnip crisps in December. The crisps, which were offered in upper class cabins, proved a hit, prompting Virgin to offer them across the board.

“We are incredibly excited to be working with Virgin Atlantic and for our crisps to be enjoyed by travellers all over the globe. We’ve developed these new 20g bags of our Lightly Salted hand-cooked crisps especially for Virgin Atlantic and we are very excited to be able to reach a whole new customer base with this contract,” said Robert.

“Aside from the quality of our crisps, which are all produced on our family farm from our home-grown potatoes, it was also our eco-friendly ethos that attracted Virgin to our brand.” The farm uses 100% renewable energy on the farm, and as the crisps are gluten-free and vegan-friendly, they can appeal to a broad base of customers, he said.

Mark Anderson, executive vice president – customer, at Virgin Atlantic said his firm was always on the lookout for exciting brands that it can work with to provide customers with “n amazing onboard experience”.

“The team at Fairfields Farm run a fantastic, sustainable business and produce a delicious product – a perfect fit for us,” he said.

The first bags of Fairfields Farm crisps were served up in cabins from February 1, and thousands will now be served.