The Homemade Potato Chips Story
The Fox Family has been in the potato business since the 1800's. The family potato farm was located in Aroostook county in Northern Maine where potatoes are still the largest agricultural product. Today, Rhett Fox, founder of Fox Family Potato Chips, owns and runs Tretts, a convenience store in Mapleton, Maine.
Rhett began experimenting with hand made potato chips using Maine russet potatoes, first in his home kitchen and later in the kitchen of his convenience store. He used his meat slicer to slice the potatoes exactly how he liked them - “ thin, but not too thin.” He fried them by hand in a combination of canola and corn oil until they were the color he liked - “dark, but not too dark.”
Rhett sold his Maine potato chips to his convenience store customers as he made them, one batch at a time. His chips gained such popularity that Rhett soon became a local celebrity, and the demand for his chips continued to grow. Customers raved that his chips had a “real potato taste” unlike any other chip and were “totally addictive.”
Rhett realized that in order to keep up with the demand, he needed to expand his production. He drove his truck to Ohio and purchased a used fryer to rev up his production. Using his newly acquired fryer, Rhett still slices and cooks his chips by hand. His chips are trans fat free and have no artificial colors, ingredients or preservatives.
If you are ever in Mapleton, Maine, stop by Tretts and say “Hi” to Rhett. If he’s not behind the counter, you can find him making potato chips.
Fox Family Potato Chips are still made by hand with 100% Maine potatoes. They are the only potato chip made in Maine and are available at select retail outlets in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
