Rediscovering all but forgotten varieties has become somewhat of a Holy Grail in retailing. Taking a lead, Waitrose, in association with its potato category supplier Solanum, has come up with no fewer than two Vintage, three Heritage and numerous Speciality varieties, which apart from their taste have added visual appeal to the potato fixture because of their patriotic colours - red, white, and even blue.
Grown by exclusive arrangement, the varieties have been creating considerable interest in-store, according to Laura Brown-Waite, Waitrose category manager.
“No one knows exactly where Highland Burgundy Red originated, but the flesh retains its colour when cooked due to the presence of natural pigments in the skin, found in raspberries and other fruit,“ she says.
‘The skin tends to russet when mature but has a spectacular flesh colour, with a narrow band of white on he outer edge. It is probably best steamed in the skin and has a fluffy texture with a mild sweet flavour.”
Salad Blue has been reintroduced since its discovery in the 1900s. Again it retains its blue flesh colour when cooked due to natural pigments, which are found in blueberries. Brown-Waite believes it has potential as an interesting salad type.
White-fleshed Arran Victory was bred in 1918 by Donald Mackelvie, who was responsible for a “family” of varieties between 1918 and 1957. Victory is the oldest of these still available and still quite rare. It has an excellent taste and is best steamed or microwaved in its skin and mashed.
These varieties fit well with the Vintage, Heritage and Speciality potato types Waitrose has been reintroducing on a limited availability basis to add interest taste and specialism to the potato category over the last five years which has been very beneficial in building potato sales in an otherwise declining market. It has helped reinforce customers perception that Waitrose is the place to buy potatoes.
The selection has also seen Yukon Gold, which Alan Romans of the Cupar based specialist breeders claims is one of the best descriptions of a Canadian variety little seen on UK shelves.’ It is a large bright tuber which stands out and is a good all rounder with buttery yellow flesh,” he explains.
Golden Wonder is best known for its association with the crisp industry, but in fact it is another Scottish variety, probably related to another English breed called Langworthy. This variation was found on an Angus farm more than 100 years ago. It has the reputation of being the crispiest baked potato possible, because it so incredibly dry.
One of the most unusual to appear on the shelves has been Shetland Black, which legend has it was rescued from the wreck of one of the vessels in the Spanish Armada that was swept around the northern coast by storms. It is certainly distinctive with a yellow flesh and a bright purple ring and dark coloured skin.
And finally there is Fortyfold, which was grown in gardens as far back as the Napoleonic era.
On a broader front Waitrose believes in educating its customers and children. Its Plough to Plate website www.waitrose.com/potatoes shows customers and their children how potatoes are supplied and even tracks them back, identifying the grower, location and even soil type of every pack supplied into Waitrose stores.
Waitrose is already well known in the Duxford area because of its Cambridge store which has has played host to 7-8 year old pupils from Duxford CofE Primary School as part of a four stage project based the potato supply chain.
A class of 29 visited the store to discover about sourcing, date coding, and the value of eating a healthy balanced diet of fruit and vegetables . It was followed by a visit to Russell Smith Farms Duxford, to gain an understanding of planting, growing and harvesting processes.
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