Two Scottish family-run farming businesses have joined forces to produce Scotland�s only home-grown and manufactured premium potato crisps.

Two Scottish family-run farming businesses have joined forces to produce Scotland's only home-grown and manufactured premium potato crisps.

Luxury ice-cream maker, Mackie's of Scotland, is working with Taypack, one of Britain's leading potato businesses, to create a new joint-venture company. The move isis will be the first expansion into the premium snack market for both companies. Both businessesEach had separately identified a market opportunity in the premium crisps sector and, by choosing to work together, will combine their different strengths and experience, double their start-up investment and output capacity to enable them to enter the market with a total project cost of about £1.6m.

The new company, Mackie's at Taypack, has been set up with Scottish Enterprise assistance and a £467,000 grant from the Scottish Government and will create 13 new jobs.

Mac Mackie, managing director of Mackie's, said: "The combination of people and experience at Mackie's and Taypack make it perfect sense for us to work together. The collaboration of our companies will more than double our resources and enable our product to get to market more quickly. Together we aim to produce the perfect Scottish crisp' - a new thick-cut crisp with the best taste in the market."

The range will consist of three core flavours: sea salt, mature cheddar and onion and sea salt & vinegar.

There will also be three limited editions, some with a particularly Scottish theme: flame-grilled Aberdeen Angus, cherry tomato & herbs and haggis & cracked black pepper.

Mackie's Potato Crisps will use locally grown raw materials, environmentally friendly farming and no artificial ingredients. The range is expected to benefit from the growing consumer demand for premium natural products. A spokesman for the new company said the crisps will be available in shops this summer.

The UK retail value sales of crisps and snacks for 2008 was £2.5bn.