News on Potatoes in Retail from United Kingdom

In October chef Heston Blumenthal revealed his top tips for achieving roasties that are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, every time. However, according to students from Edge Hotel School at the University of Essex, Blumenthal has been cutting his spuds all wrong.

Sales at potato firm Albert Bartlett have climbed 18 per cent to £146m, but operating profit was again impacted by price pressures in the supply chain.

Following an investigation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency earlier this year, it has been confirmed that ulluco tubers imported into the UK from a number of different sources were infected by harmful viruses, highlighting that there is uncertainty about the disease status of this crop in general.

Aldi’s potato sales in Wales have risen by a third since the retailer began sales of Welsh potatoes five months ago, highlighting the popularity of homegrown produce in the country.

Solely supplied by Branston, Italian new potatoes are returning to Tesco for the seventh consecutive year, to keep pace with the increasing demand for fresh seasonal new potatoes.

One of the key features of the biennial British Potato event is the seminar programme and the approaching Brexit is of course a topic that must be front and center at an event in the United Kingdom.

In Great Britain, Maris Piper is still by a wide margin the most grown potato variety. But potato growers have planted an increased area of emerging varieties to serve the fresh packing market

Potato supplier Albert Bartlett (United Kingdom) has made its first entry into the sweet potato market with a listing at the British online retailer Ocado.

Potato Processing company M&F Ltd. - based in the United Kingdom - has closed after losing one of its main customers. M&F produced fresh cut and peeled potato products and supplied these to companies who further process these potatoes into ready meals for the UK’s major supermarkets.

UK retailer Morrisons has acquired the Carnoustie potato packing plant from Farmcare in a deal which will strengthen the supply of Scottish tubers to the supermarket chain.

Potato Company Branston in the United Kingdom says it will see demand for potatoes double from 150 to 300 tonnes in the week before Christmas.

Italian seasonal new potatoes will be launched into Tesco this autumn on the back of new research showing that consumers want freshly harvested new potatoes all year round.

Branston, one of the biggest potato suppliers in the United Kingdom, has officially opened its £5 million prepared potato factory extension in partnership with Tesco.

UK Supermarket chain Tesco has announced it will issue contracts worth £12 million over three years to help support British Agriculture, and become the first retailer in the UK to introduce new long term contracts for potato growers and packers.

“Harnessing the power of leading bloggers and vloggers, as well as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels will enable us [AHDB Potatoes] to reach more consumers and engage with them on a more regular and impactful basis. As research shows, this is clearly the way forward.”

Branston (Potatoes) Ltd, based near Lincoln in the United Kingdom, has submitted a planning application with North Kesteven District Council for an expansion which would create 19 new jobs.

The entire potato industry of Great Britain gathered at Harrogate International Centre, North Yorkshire 12 and 13 November for BP2015, the key industry event of the year.

With a major new campaign to promote fresh potatoes across Britain and Ireland about to break, AHDB Potatoes and Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) are calling on industry to get behind it and help change the way consumers think about potatoes.