With the first Jersey Royal potatoes being harvested from the glasshouse and shipped off to wholesalers this month, the premium potato season has officially begun. The popular variety is not the only potato in town to have earned protected food name status, however. The Pembrokeshire Earlies season, grown exclusively by Puffin Produce, is also underway, with the crop now being planted for a May harvest.
Like the Jersey Royal’s warm south-facing côtil slopes, Pembrokeshire enjoys a beneficial climate in the jutting foot of Wales, providing the potatoes with better growing conditions, but like their more southerly counterparts 2018 proved a trying season.
“The cold weather conditions at the beginning of spring 2018 definitely delayed crops slightly due to the soils maintaining a cooler temperature than normal. Here in Pembrokeshire we’re lucky to have the Gulf Stream hugging our coastline, which provides warmer air and quite often protects our coastal farms from harsher weather conditions,” says Megan Tye, marketing manager at Puffin Produce.
This year has brought markedly better weather, raising hopes for a good season ahead. “The milder temperatures so far this year have allowed our growers to spend time nurturing and preparing the land, ready to plant our Pembrokeshire Early Potato seed over the coming weeks,” Tye says.
Unlike Jersey Royals though, Pembrokeshire Earlies are not a single variety, being made up of different cultivars bred and grown to a particular standard within a geographical area. “We concentrate on growing great-tasting varieties such as Lady Christl and Maris Peer to put into our Blas y Tir Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes bags through the summer season.”
Puffin Produce’s brand Blas y Tir, meaning “Taste of the Land” in Welsh, is partly attuned to its Welsh roots, with the red dragon emblazoned on each bag. But it’s the production methods that distinguish the potatoes from other brands.
“One of our biggest methods of maintaining the quality of our crops is practising rotation growing. Our dedicated Pembrokeshire Early potato growers grow these crops on a minimum field rotation of one every four years to ensure we maintain soil health, to minimise soil-borne pests and diseases, and to keep organic matter levels up. This practice of focusing on soil health means that soil structure and fertility is maintained throughout the rotation, keeping potato plants healthy up until the tubers are harvested.
Tye continues: “By maintaining the nutrient levels within the soil we are not only ensuring fertile soils and sustainable farming practices for years to come, but we also think that the abundance of nutrients available within the soil benefits the texture, flavour and eating quality of the potatoes. The fact that all of our potatoes are grown, picked and packed in Wales also means we can ensure complete traceability and minimal food-mile footprint – one consumer even described Pembrokeshire Early potatoes as ‘Jersey Royals without the jet lag!’”
Once harvested, Pembrokeshire Earlies will go on sale across Welsh supermarkets and wholesalers at the end of May, with an exclusive window lasting until the end of August. While Puffin Produce has enjoyed strong growth recently, more than doubling its turnover in the past decade, potatoes face a challenge maintaining growth levels of popularity among a public sceptical of carbohydrates. New potato varieties may have the advantage, however, popular as they are with salads and lighter dishes compatible with health trends.
“Perception change is never going to be instant,” Tye says. “We’re currently working with local schools, colleges and with social media bloggers online to be active in promoting the benefits of potatoes to the next generation, as well as educating and inspiring current consumers about the versatility of potatoes.”
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