The latest additions to Greenvale’s exotic range of potatoes have been sourced from the homeland of the potato - Peru. The three varieties the group has chosen to focus on commercially for the UK market derive from the Pheruja family and have been branded and sold as Mayan Gold, Peruvian Spirit and Peruvian Salad. These have been added to Greenvale’s existing range of exclusive potato varieties that includes Vales Sovereign, Claret, Lady Balfour, Eve Balfour, Vales Emerald, Vales Everest, Spey and Sebastian.
“There is no variety like Mayan Gold grown commercially anywhere else in the UK,” says chief executive Alan Owens. “We have been working on introducing the Andean potatoes for a few years in conjunction with the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI).”
Work on the breeding and selection of Phurejas for the UK began in the early 1990s. According to SCRI it can take up to 15 years from pollinating a plant to get a new potato, but together with companies such as Greenvale, the Institute produced five new varieties in 2002.
Greenvale has taken on three of those five for commercial production. Two of these, the Mayan Gold and Peruvian Spirit potatoes, selected by Greenvale, were specially bred to enable them to be grown in the northern hemisphere.
“Greenvale’s Phurejas are the best of the range brought to the UK as part of the commonwealth breeding programme by the SCRI,” claims Owens.
Craig Sankey, marketing manager, describes the two Andean potatoes as having a yellow flesh, a unique nutty taste and a superior appearance, which creates a golden mash with a buttery taste without the butter.
“These potatoes make golden crisps with a fantastic natural flavour and exotic colour and wonderful roasts which are crisp with a fluffy inside. The varieties are also very popular for use in potato wedges and are proving very popular within the restaurant trade for use as chips,” he adds.
“As a result of the taste and texture, Mayan Gold needs little additives - the variety is already being trailed with major crispers interested.”
Sankey explains that both the Peruvian varieties are aimed at the “best in class sector” and have already been bought by many top chefs, including several currently working on television, for use in their own restaurants.
He says: “Top celebrity chefs who recognise the potatoes’ unique taste and appearance continue to be prepared to spend their money on the quality of this variety. They recognise the unique nature of these varieties and are keen to place regular repeat orders.”
The popularity of the potatoes has been verified in independent, blind-taste tests, undertaken by the major UK retailers where the Andean varieties have consistently come out on top. Owens adds: “Good varieties don’t need to be given away - you can’t kid the public.”
Greenvale’s growing programmes for the Peruvian varieties are based in the eastern counties, as this is a major growing hub for the company. Technical director Paul Coleman says Mayan Gold is available from October, in line with other traditional potato varieties. “Other varieties of Phureja are coming through our breeding programme as Greenvale sees Phurejas as a growth sector of the market, creating a point of difference for the consumer and retailers. Limited seed volumes are available at the moment though they are being fast tracked as part of our rapid multiplication programme,” he says.
The marketing plan for Mayan Gold for the next 12 months is to increase the tuber’s profile with both wholesalers and retailers. Meanwhile, Peruvian Spirit will be launched next year as a table potato, says Coleman: “This table potato has an exceptionally smooth texture and has also topped tasting panels as a baking/roast potato. All our Peruvian potatoes cook in 80 per cent of the normal potato cooking time because of the small cell size and make up. In the Andes where they originate, water boils at 90°C at the high altitudes, and the potatoes selected cook well under these conditions.”
Throughout its 40 years of operation, Greenvale has evolved to become a leading UK supplier of fresh potatoes and many of the other varieties in its portfolio also continue to perform well. “Growers are very excited about the Vales Sovereign variety,” says Owens. “It is a very attractive parti-coloured variety that offers exceptionally high yield and is a very good eating potato. It is grown for the general baker pre-pack market and offers low waste levels.”
Vales Sovereign is an early-maturing main crop and offers a good option for the general white/baker market. Coleman says: “The variety has topped retailers’ taste panels and now forms part of the accepted list for the major retailers.” He explains the Vales Sovereign variety was taken from the SCRI multi-trait disease resistance programme and is suitable for integrated crop management production, as it offers very good all-round disease resistance.
“Its all-round agronomic qualities makes it an ideal variety for growers, packers and consumers. It is so popular that the seed is virtually all sold out for 2005/06,” he says.
The other variety performing well in the Greenvale portfolio is Vales Emerald, which is bred primarily for the punnets potato market. Vales Emerald has shown yield increases of up to 25 per cent in comparison to standard existing punnet varieties.
“The variety is a Peer/Charlotte cross with an excellent flavour,” says Coleman. “It is a very robust variety in the fields and matures earlier than other ware widely known as Peer - this means that the season can be started earlier, which is ideal for retailers. Another advantage is that the variety can be packed off-field and be available in stores, quickly and extremely fresh.”
However it is the addition of the new Andean varieties which will help Greenvale to meet the high standards demanded by their customers, supplying some of the UK’s leading retailers, caterers and processing outlets with a new superb tasting, high value UK-grown variety with a great heritage and bright future ahead of it.
