Potato News from United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Members of Parliament (MPs) were treated to a day of potatoes, as Potato Council was sponsored to attend Parliament during Potato Week (7-13 October).

A small British potato chip/crisp manufacturer – Corkers Crisps of Ely, Cambridgeshire has set a new Guiness record for the largest bag of potato chips ever lifted. The bag measured 5.5 metres high and had to be strong enough to support over a tonne.

English Chips maker Tyrrells is expanding its range of high end snacks with the launch of its new Apple Crisps.

Burts Chips has announced it is extending its range of hand-cooked premium crisps with the launch of Guinness Rich Beef Chilli flavour.

In the United Kingdom, a high profile advertising campaign has been launched to drive awareness and sales of named potato varieties.

Potato farming and supply firm Produce Investments Plc (Greenvale AP) has reported a 26.6 per cent rise in annual pre-tax profits to £7.6 million.

The Cornish Crisp has been chosen by Qantas Airways to be the crisp for business passengers on flights from London to Dubai from 1 September.

More than 140 potato growers, advisors and agronomists met at Frederick Hiam Ltd, Tuddenham, Suffolk at the end of August, 2013, for Potato Council’s East of England Potato Day.

Machinery manufacturer Tong Peal has announced a brand new machinery finishing process, as part of continued efforts to provide farmers and growers with the highest quality custom handling equipment.

Branston and Tesco are offering consumers the opportunity to have their moment of fame with their new ‘Pic on a Pack' initiative. Customers have at chance to have their photo featured on packs of freshly prepared Parmentier potatoes.

Richard Newman has joined the team at R J Herbert Engineering Ltd in the role of sales manager for farm and recycling.

McCain Foods is set to unveil its new Happy Days campaign on 2 September, featuring outdoor, press, TV, cinema and in-store activity, along with a 3.7 million household door drop.

Growers, agronomists and technical specialists turned out in high numbers at Potatoes in Practice earlier this month on the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie.

Avoid bruising at potato harvest by managing moisture levels pre-desiccation is the advice from Hutchinsons Root Crop Technical manager, Darryl Shailes.

Importers and growers looking to buy high health, high quality seed are warmly invited to visit Potato Council’s stand at Potato Europe (Emmeloord, The Netherlands, September 11-12, 2013).

Mackie’s Crisps hosted almost 200 hundred guests at the opening of their new crisp factory in Errol, Perthshire earlier this month.

In the aftermath of last year’s difficult growing and harvesting season, almost one in ten of Britain’s potato growers decided to call it a day, but, according to Rob Clayton of the Potato Council, the 2013 acreage of potatoes in the UK has not fallen.

Furious potato growers are going head to head with supermarkets and restaurants in a campaign to reclaim the "British New Potato".