The first potatoes to be marketed under Tesco’s premium ‘Finest’ label start appearing in store this week.
The Exquisa variety will initially be on sale in 100 of Tesco’s biggest stores and will then roll out to more outlets over the following months. The Smile variety, which has a bright red skin with distinctive cream ‘smiles’, will be on sale first in North London and the adjacent area. Both varieties are being sold in high-quality one kilogramme modified atmosphere ‘Finest’ packs.
The retailer claimed Smile is not being sold anywhere commercially yet, while Exquisa is sold to a limited extent as a premium product in Belgium, Holland and Germany. Branston has secured the exclusive rights to sell Smile to Tesco.
Both varieties are being supplied by Branston, Tesco’s main fresh potato supplier, which has carried out the development work for Tesco over the last two years to assess their suitability for the UK market and their agronomic characteristics.
It said Exquisa has an attractive buttery flavour, a soft texture, a creamy skin and a long, hooked shape, while Smile is being marketed for its distinctive appearance and mild flavour.
David Nelson, Branston’s field director, said: “Exquisa is an improvement on other salad varieties in terms of consistent flavour and appearance. The appearance of Smile is very distinctive, and the colour remains after boiling, unlike many red-skinned varieties. The skin is quite thin, so it also eats well.”
John Sutton, Tesco senior technical and development manager said: “We are extremely selective about the products we sell under our ‘Finest’ label. I congratulate Branston on seeing the potential for these potato varieties in the first place and then developing them into marketable products that meet our very stringent criteria.”
