Potato News from United Kingdom

Potato Week 2011 is kicking off next month (1-7 October) and is offering chefs and caterers the chance to take part in the event. Simon Bull, marketing manager for Potato Council, believes potatoes are a versatile product and are a great ingredient fo...

Latest results from cultivations work at Cambridge University Farm show that working the soil at depth has had no effect on emergence this year, due to the dry conditions. "These are different to our previous results,"admitted Mark Stalham o...

The rising cost of irrigation was one of the topics discussed at the East of England Potato Day in Suffolk last week. The cost of applying water to potato crops is rising fast and has doubled since 2005, according to Jerry Knox of Cranfield University...

About 1,200 McDonald's restaurants in the U.K. will this week begin displaying the calorie count of each food and drink item on their wall-mounted menu boards, as part of a government-led program to fight obesity and promote healthier eating, the chain...

A vibrant brand identity and integrated PR and marketing campaign will position Rudolph as the potato variety that caters for all tastes. With its distinctive red skin, this premium red main crop potato is extremely versatile and reliable.

Potato prices in the United Kingdom have dropped again, with available supplies exceeding demand due to the early harvest. The Potato Council's weekly average price fell by 12% in the week to 19 August, to £120.65/t - £50/t below the same time last y...

Desicant application trials to monitor spray deposition in different parts of the potato crop canopy have demonstrated that the angled Syngenta Potato Nozzle gives better all-round coverage of leaves and stems at all heights of the leaf canopy, compare...

Food packaging solutions specialist, tna presents its latest innovations at PPMA 2011. Focusing on delivering performance and flexibility, tna highlights its tna roflo® VM 3, a vibratory motion transfer and distribution system, unique seasoning system...

Matthew Smallwood has been appointed as SAC’s Senior Potato Consultant and will be based at SAC’s Perth Office. Matt will work closely with Dr Stuart Wale, who continues to work for SAC on a reduced-days basis. He will co-ordinate activity with the oth...

Potato growers in Pembrokeshire are facing up to their lowest returns for years after the fine spring meant a bumper early crop from eastern England hitting the marketplace just as the season peaks for Welsh farmers. One of the major buyers described ...

The Aunt Bessie’s brand is aiming to drive growth in the frozen potato category by expanding its range of frozen ‘home-style’ potatoes. The launches will bring new varieties and flavours to the category. Building on the success of Midweek Mini Roasti...

SAC 1st Class Honours graduate, Amanda MacLennan, from the Black Isle used the recent Potatoes In Practice Event near Dundee to present the results of her research into Pit rot of potatoes.

Gary Lineker is to take a back seat in the latest advert for the Walkers crisp range following a brand revamp. The move comes as brand owner PepsiCo makes a decision to shift the marketing message to provenance in its latest push. The new campaign fo...

United Biscuits may be broken up as its private equity owners plan to revive attempts to sell the U.K. food manufacturer, The Sunday Times reports without citing sources. The move could see the group's biscuits business, including the McVitie's brand,...

Securing the recent growth in Scottish seed potato exports was as important as looking to develop new markets, Mark Prentice, the Potato Council's head of seed and export told growers at Potatoes in Practice held near Dundee. Total seed exports had sm...

A £1M water recycling plant in the South West has enabled potato packer and distributor Branston to reduce its use of mains water by 85%. As a result of the plant in Ilminster, Somerset, Branston is saving 41 cubic metres of mains water a day, as wast...

Word from the seed potato fields indicates increased levels of the bacterial disease blackleg in crops over the past month. Yesterday the talk was transformed into figures, with officials from the Scottish Government's Science &Advice for Scottish...

Pushing the boundaries is critical to success, according to McCain Foods regional CEO Nick Vermont. Speaking at the East Midlands Potato Day held at QV Foods, Holbeach Hurn, Lincolnshire, (July 5) he spoke of McCain Foods’ objective of innovation to m...