Waitrose has designed a range of potato packaging in conjunction with Solanum – one of the UK's leading potato suppliers.

Following a recent study carried out by the British Potato Council on potatoes which showed that customers wanted to be able to clearly identify different varieties, Waitrose and Solanum have created the new appearance of the range specifically with this in mind.

The pillow packs are ranged into different colours for particular categories, such as White, Red, Variety, Speciality and Vintage enabling a clear distinction between the various types.

Easy to understand icons on the front of the pack show how a particular variety is best cooked and on the reverse there are various recipe suggestions and comprehensive nutritional details.

Waitrose's buyer Peter Cooke commented: 'Our aim is to educate our consumers about the produce they eat and by providing additional information we can help everyone get the best from the potatoes they buy.

'We have been running a promotion over the past week on our vintage varieties such as Shetland Black and Forty Fold and have seen a significant increase in sales. I believe that the new packaging and additional information has given consumers more confidence, more assurity and more knowledge of provenance, enabling them to choose the correct potato for the right purpose.' The range of vertical form fill pillow bags has replaced the traditional polythene bags for all potato varieties in store and, because of the way it is sealed, allows consumers to see the product better when on the shelf.

John Pearson, managing director of Solanum, said: 'This is just one of the many developments over the past few years that allow us to work with our customers and keep abreast of their requirements and consumers needs.

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