early potatoes

French vegetable marketer Prince de Bretagne has revealed plans to simplify its early potato range, segmenting it into two brands: Primaline for hand-picked, and Prima Breizh for mechanically harvested.

The range is grown by 230 different producers in the Brittany region, France's main early potato-cultivating region with 15,000 tonnes a year. The potatoes differ markedly in terms of harvesting time, terroir and variety, and therefore in both taste and flavour.

Primaline potatoes, including the Starlette and Lady Chist'l varieties, are available from January until late April from semi-sheltered production and from May until mid-August from open-field production. Prima Breizh potatoes, cultivated exclusively in the field, are available from late May until mid-August.

Meanwhile, the marketer's wooden 50x30 14kg packs are to be replaced by smaller 40x30 10kg packs so that they are better suited to French and European pallet sizes.