Anya potatoes scooped a silver award for best seasonal food at the second annual Taste of Britain Awards, run by the Daily Telegraph and Sainsbury’s, to recognise the best of British food and drink.
The variety was developed by Cambridgeshire-based supplier MBMG.
A team of chefs cooked and presented short-listed products to a panel of expert judges for them to make gold, silver, and bronze awards in each category.
The entrants were judged on flavour and quality of their product, as well as innovation, business acumen, environmental record and ‘Britishness’.
The award-winning spud was featured alongside all the other gold, silver and bronze award winners a Daily Telegraph 16-page supplement on September 22.
Daily Telegraph writer Paul Bray wrote: “Here’s a riddle for you. Why are potatoes like people? Because they come in all shapes and sizes, and even if you know the parents you can never predict how the offspring will turn out.”
The formal presentations were made at Highgrove on October 10.
Sainsbury’s took up the new variety soon after its development, but it has only recently become available in significant volumes.
MBMG sales director Neil Beeton said: “It’s unique in shape, with very good cooking qualities and a distinct, nutty flavour. It boils well, can be roasted or baked, and goes particularly well in salads.”
“There is a lot more focus on how a product tastes and how it performs rather than what it looks like,” he added.
The variety is harvested from July to November, and yields are around half that of a mainstream variety.
Pete Cocks, MBMG agronomist and one of the team that bred the Anya, said: “The growers are as important as the land. They need attention to detail and good management skills. If they do their job properly, there’s no need for lots of chemicals.”
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