HEROES CRISPS – a Kenyan Success Story

The Success Story

Tropical Heat’s vision behind Heroes was to create the perfect crisps. By using state of the art cutting techniques, a unique blanching process, high-tech packing systems and layered atmospheric packing, they accomplished their mission. Naturally top quality potatoes have been an important foundation for creating the perfect crisps. Although it is unable to see this from the outside, Agrico PSA’s potato variety Markies is “a hidden force inside Heroes crisps”! Markies is the proud number one for potato chips in Kenya, but this is another prove of its increasing demand by Kenya’s crisping industry.

Tropical Heat was established in 1973 as a small ethnic snack cottage industry. Today, it has become one of the leading manufacturers of spices and snacks in the East African region and its brand Tropical Heat is a household name in Kenya. A strong export base has been built up with exports going to 25 countries, amongst other to Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, Burundi, UK and the USA.

Tropical Heat is another example how – by growing Markies – Kenyan farmers simultaneously acquire access to two different premium potato market segments.  The potato chips industry requests their large Markies potatoes and the potato crisping industry favors their smaller Markies sizes. Ever since its establishment in 2015, Agrico PSA and Tropical have been collaborating continuously. This partnerships results in off-take demand for Kenya’s potato farmers. We have realized this market demand with our current varieties Destiny and Markies and more demand for our new varieties will follow in the near future!

Idea behind Heroes Crisps

For 48 years, we have maintained a legacy of only producing the finest and tastiest crisps. We introduce our newest range of potato’crisps- HEROES CRISPS.
Heroes, crisps are produced using the finest hand- picked potatoes from our Kenyan soil and gently fried to perfection and perfectly flavoured so you can feel the hero in every crunch.
Be a hero with us in our ‘Be A Hero’ campaign where when you buy a pack of Heroes crisps you are helping someone across Kenya. Part of the proceeds from Heroes crisps will be used to help people across the country better their lives.
Be a Hero with Heroes crisps, because not all heroes
wear capes.

More about Tropical Heat (The genius behind Heroes Crisps)

Before Heroes came about, we had an idea about a few things. Unique. Different. PERFECT.
That’s how our perfect crisps project started. But, more than just making the perfect crisps, we wanted to create a difference. A difference in the community, in the country and eventually, make the world a better place. We wanted to live by our vision: To touch 1% of the world’s population. Heroes is dedicated to supporting 6 different pillars.
They consist of impacting the community, wildlife, education, sports, health and environment. Heroes crisps are all about you. We want to recognise all the small and big things that each of us does that go unnoticed. You don’t have to move mountains to be noticed – although you can still do it – but sometimes, the smallest act makes a difference.
Your small act inspires others and hence a chain of good deeds is formed.
That’s the whole idea of Heroes – to make your small act count. When you buy a pack of Heroes crisps, we will contribute towards one of the impact projects and make a difference in our society. Never forget, to be a Hero, you don’t have to save the city, or even wear a cape. Picking up litter from the roadside also makes you a hero as you are helping the environment.

At our farm in Nakuru, each year we transform 400 tonnes of imported basic seed into 6,300 tonnes of Kenyan certified seed potatoes resulting in over 90,000 tonnes of Kenyan ware potatoes in its first season. We therefore proudly say that 99.6% of our volume is Kenyan produce!

With this we contribute to solving the biggest bottleneck in potato cultivation in Kenya; the poor quality of seed potatoes. For Kenyan farmers, working with high-quality seed potatoes certified by Kephis results in a significant increase in yields and profits.

Agrico Kenya Offering: Potato farming professionals