A major media campaign is hoping to establish Cornish Earlies in the consumer consciousness as the season faces an extra early start.
Producers are expecting an early start to the season after mild winter weather convinced them to plant in December, a month ahead of normal.
The conditions convinced growers in West Cornwall to risk the frost and plant some of the first Cornish Early seed potatoes before Christmas.
The potatoes, grown in the Penwith district, are the first to be harvested in the UK season and usually arrive at the end of April. Growers are now anticipating the extra-early potatoes to be ready in mid-April.
The Cornish Early brand was only launched last season, and this year’s crop will be supported with a national media campaign.
Angie Coombs from Cornwall Taste of the West said: “The aim is to create an awareness of the difference between the very first new potatoes grown on home soil and imports that have probably been in storage for a while and travelled hundreds of miles.
“Increasingly consumers are becoming more conscious of sesonality and the benefits of eating truly fresh produce at its peak and in the correct season.
“We want people to ask for Cornish Earlies by name in the same way that they anticipate the arrival of the first English asparagus or strawberries.”
The Cornish Early campaign is an initiative led by a small number of potato growers and supported by Cornwall Taste of the West and Penwith District Council.
