The dates have been set for Potato Week 2014; running from 6-12 October the campaign will celebrate the humble potato and encourage mums to ‘trade-up’ from generic whites to named varieties.

Run by Potato Council for the benefit of the supply chain, the Week will focus on helping consumers shop for potatoes far more intuitively; choosing varieties based on taste, texture and how they perform rather than price or appearance.

Potato Week will be supported by bestselling author, food stylist and mum, Jo Pratt, who has developed a brand new range of Maris Piper recipes. Designed to appeal to the whole family, recipes include Seasonal ‘Bonfire Jackets’, simple ‘Spanish Potato and Egg Hash’ and succulent ‘Roast Italian Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes’. Alongside the flavoursome recipes, Jo has also disclosed her top 10 potato tips; from how to use up leftover roast or boiled potatoes to create a fantastic Spanish tortilla to producing the smoothest mash.

To enhance its success, Potato Council is calling for industry support for Potato Week through the use of promotional and point-of-sale material at the fixture, along with recipe and message sharing on-pack, online and via social media platforms.

Potato Council marketing manager, Kate Cox, said: “Potato Week 2014 will be supported by a major PR campaign which will highlight the most commonly sold varieties, such as Maris Pipers which are a natural choice for mums. With potatoes firmly in the spotlight, there will be plenty of opportunities for the industry to get involved.

“Activity for Potato Week has been designed to deliver maximum impact and give the sector many opportunities for involvement. Artwork, literature, recipes and key messaging will all be available to use, to suit multiple and independent retailers, suppliers, processors and growers.”

Make sure you’re part of Potato Week 2014. To request promotional material, contact marketing@potato.ahdb.org.uk or visit www.potato.org.uk/promotion/get-involved.