News on Food Trends from United Kingdom

Aberystwyth University leads a cross-border AI project to combat potato late blight, a disease causing €4B in losses annually. The DeepDetect app will help farmers detect infections early, cutting pesticide use and boosting sustainable farming.

After a near-fatal accident at his remote home, Graham Bannister stresses the importance of emergency preparedness, rural connectivity, and using tools like satellite calling and What3words to stay safe while working alone in isolated areas.

Open Farm Sunday 2025 saw a 20% rise in host farms, welcoming 200,000 visitors. The event strengthened public connections to farming, highlighted sustainability, and inspired youth interest in agriculture. Next year’s event is on 7th June 2026.

Experts from Harper Adams University have co-authored a comprehensive new guide to managing potato cyst nematodes (PCN), updating previous advice and combining biology, control strategies, and sampling methods into one essential resource.

Potatoes in Practice, the UK’s biggest field potato event, is on 7 August at Balruddery Farm. Hosted by James Hutton Institute, it brings growers, researchers, and industry leaders together to share innovations and advance the potato sector.

UPL Corp and CERSA at NC State University hosted the Global Mancozeb Summit at Rothamsted Research, UK, gathering global experts to discuss mancozeb’s vital role in crop protection as the EU prepares to review its regulatory status.

The 2025 Fight Against Blight campaign begins with new tools to track late blight in UK potatoes, warning of evolving fungicide resistance and urging growers to stay vigilant.

GB Potatoes has joined HCP to secure vital crop protection authorisations for the UK seed potato sector, using AHDB levy funds. A new technical group will prioritise needs, ensuring sustainable, high-quality seed and ware potato production.

Scientists, led by Dr Rob Hancock, Deputy Director of the Hutton’s Advanced Plant Growth Centre, have been working as part of a European consortium to develop tools for the development of multi-stress tolerant potatoes

Join the James Hutton Institute's webinar on May 30, International Day of Potato, to explore UK potato production challenges and innovations in breeding, sustainability, AI tools, and pest control. Hosted by NPIC and Professor Ingo Hein.

KMC has partnered with UK-based Daymer Ingredients to expand its potato-based solutions in the UK. The collaboration focuses on clean label starches and aims to support sustainable, plant-based innovations for food manufacturers.

GB Potatoes funds the FAB project for 3 years, boosting UK efforts to monitor and combat potato late blight. Led by James Hutton Institute, FAB provides vital real-time insights on blight strains and resistance, strengthening sector resilience.

The 2025 Hutchinsons Potato Trials Results Day at Worth Farms, Lincolnshire, showcased key field trials and research to help tackle major potato industry challenges, including PCN, herbicide safety, wireworm, catch crops, blight, and Alternaria.

Fera Science’s Enigma I project is advancing to its second phase, focusing on sustainable wireworm control. Agri-food organizations are invited to join as co-funding partners for tailored research and practical solutions.

Emerald Research Ltd (ERL) and a leading potato grower in South West England have won an eighteen-month Innovate UK project to tackle the ever-growing problem of wireworm damage in potatoes.

The Fresh Potato Suppliers Association (FPSA) was established in 2009 to represent the fresh sector of the potato industry bringing together fresh packers and suppliers to retail.

Greenvale’s Golden Kings launched ‘Move Over Maris’ with Great British Chefs to promote climate-friendly, high-yielding potatoes needing less irrigation and pest control, urging consumers to switch varieties.

Subway® is trialling a new range of freshly made, hot, fluffy, jacket potatoes in select restaurants across the UK. Over the past few years, the jacket potato, a warm and comforting classic, has undergone a renaissance and recently found fame on social media