Scotty Brand is promoting its new potatoes from Ayrshire in Scotland to try to establish them in the same niche in the market as Cornwall and Jersey.
The Ayrshire crop is among the first to come on stream in Scotland and runs from June to early September.
Now Scotty Brand is behind a drive to widen their distribution in the broader UK marketplace. Michael Jarvis, marketing manager for Scotty Brand, explains: “Ayrshire is an ideal location to grow early potatoes because of its proximity to the south-west coast of Scotland, which benefits from the warming waters of the Gulf Stream.
” The sandy soil in the area warms up quickly in the springtime to allow planting in February and March. The region then receives reliable rainfall from March to May. This is critical for the potatoes to bulk up. However, it is also sheltered from storms and receives only around half of the frost of areas further inland. The loose texture of the soil subsequently allows the potatoes to grow large and regularly shaped early in the season. Being close to the sea, seaweed and seaweed extract are often used to fertilise the fields. '
The brand started its push on the regional potatoes two seasons ago. “In 2011 we first began with Scotty Brand Ayrshire New Potatoes in Scotland only,” Jarvis says. “In 2012 we enjoyed tremendous growth in the major multiples across the whole of the UK. We are currently working with the retailers to build on that success both north and south of the border with a programme of activity. We work with a number of retailers including Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Whole Foods.”
He admits that consumers in Scotland have a strong affinity with the Ayrshire produce, but the experience last year showed that enthusiasm for the potatoes is strong across the whole of the UK. This season is kicking off slightly behind last year.
“We are planning to launch with Ayrshires towards the end of June/beginning of July, which is a week or two later than last year, but we are confident in our supply thereafter,” Jarvis says.
The trade is an historic one as early potatoes have been grown in Girvan, Ayrshire since the 1850s. Ayrshire potatoes in the late 19th and early 20th century were primarily harvested by migrant Irish workers known as tattie howkers. In 1910, records show that some 1,000 tattie howkers were employed in the Girvan area alone and special trains were laid on to transport the crop around the UK from Girvan station.
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