The Froggatt family is offering readers 15% off orders from both Just Oil and Just Crisps until November 20!
Nestled in the Trent Valley near Rugeley, Wade Lane Farm has been home to the Froggatt family since 1922. More than 100 years and four generations later, it’s still very much a family affair.
Today, Anthony Froggatt runs the farm alongside his wife Becky, with his parents Richard and Sue, sister Sarah, and the next generation – Kitty, Francesca, and Johnny – all involved in different aspects of the farm and businesses.
The farm grows a range of arable crops, including wheat, oilseed rape, and potatoes, alongside a small flock of Welsh Mule sheep.
The idea for Just Oil emerged following one of the most difficult periods in the farm’s history. During the devastating Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001, the family lost their entire sheep flock, prompting Anthony to explore ways of diversifying and building a more resilient future for the farm.
Having grown oilseed rape for many years, he began looking at ways to add value to the crop rather than simply selling it as a raw commodity. He read an article about food trends with consumers looking for provenance and quality, he recognised the opportunity to produce British cold-pressed rapeseed oil as an alternative to olive oil. Cold-pressing the seed to extract the oil is a completely natural process – just squeezing the oil from the seed like you would juice from grapes.
In 2005, with a small oil press and bottling equipment, Just Oil was born. What started with a few bottles supplied to The Canalside Farm Shop in Great Heyward and other local shops gradually grew into an award-winning business, with Anthony’s sister Sarah joining the team as demand increased.
With potatoes already growing in the farm’s light, sandy Trent Valley soils, and their own rapeseed oil being produced on site, Just Crisps was a natural next step.
Launched in 2011, Just Crisps brought together two ingredients grown on the family farm: British potatoes and British cold-pressed rapeseed oil.
Today, the family grows the crops, presses the oil, and produces the crisps in its own on-farm factory, with fields less than a kilometre from the production facilities.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the brilliant team behind Just Oil and Just Crisps. From production and packing to getting orders out of the door, their hard work and dedication keep everything running, and the family is incredibly grateful for everything they do.
Sustainability is an important part of both the farm and food businesses, with the team continually looking for ways to reduce waste and make better use of their resources.
When oilseed rape is cold-pressed, the process produces rapeseed meal, a protein-rich by-product used in animal feed. Waste cooking oil from crisp production can be repurposed into biodiesel, while leaving the skins on the potatoes helps reduce unnecessary waste.
Growing the two main ingredients on the farm also keeps the supply chain remarkably short, and solar panels help generate renewable electricity for the business.
Looking after the countryside is just as important to the Froggatt’s as producing good food.
Around 10 hectares of the farm – equivalent to 14 football pitches – are managed as environmental buffers and strips, providing valuable habitats for wildlife while helping protect soils and watercourses.
The family also manages 10 miles of hedgerows. To put that into perspective, laid end to end, they would stretch roughly from Lichfield city centre to Rugeley! These hedgerows act as wildlife corridors, connecting habitats and providing food and shelter for birds, insects, and small mammals.
Through the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, the family also grows winter bird food and pollen and nectar mixes, providing important food sources for farmland birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
The farm’s 25-acre lake, woodland and the River Trent provide further valuable habitats for wildlife, while companion crops such as buckwheat are grown alongside oilseed rape to help manage pests naturally and reduce reliance on pesticides.
For the family, it’s about finding the right balance between producing food and protecting the environment for future generations.
Like many British farms, Wade Lane has faced a particularly challenging year. Prolonged dry weather and drought have significantly affected crops.
Combined with rising fuel, fertiliser, energy, and labour costs, it highlights the increasing pressures facing British agriculture and the importance of diversification in helping family farms remain viable.
Running food businesses alongside a working farm brings its own challenges, but it also creates opportunities to add value to British-grown crops, support local jobs and connect consumers more closely with where their food comes from.
More than a century after the Froggatt family first arrived at Wade Lane Farm, the next generation is becoming increasingly involved in its future.
The family hopes to continue growing Just Oil and Just Crisps, reaching more customers while staying true to their Staffordshire roots and commitment to using two core British-grown ingredients.
Although much has changed since 1922, the philosophy remains simple: grow good British food, make the most of what the farm produces, and look after the land for generations to come.
A special offer for readers
To celebrate their Staffordshire roots, the Froggatt family is offering readers 15 per cent off orders from both Just Oil and Just Crisps until November 20.
Simply use code LICHFIELD15 at checkout!
Just Oil: https://justoil.co.uk/
Just Crisps: https://justcrisps.co.uk/
