Potato News from United Kingdom

August 25, 2013

Avoid bruising at potato harvest by managing moisture levels

Avoid bruising at potato harvest by managing moisture levels pre-desiccation is the advice from Hutchinsons Root Crop Technical manager, Darryl Shailes.

August 21, 2013

GB seed potato industry hosts first-time UK Industry Reception at Potato Europe

Importers and growers looking to buy high health, high quality seed are warmly invited to visit Potato Council’s stand at Potato Europe (Emmeloord, The Netherlands, September 11-12, 2013).

August 19, 2013

Mackie’s Crisps Unveil New Factory at Errol Brickworks

Mackie’s Crisps hosted almost 200 hundred guests at the opening of their new crisp factory in Errol, Perthshire earlier this month.

August 12, 2013

UK: Growers quit but potato acreage is steady

In the aftermath of last year’s difficult growing and harvesting season, almost one in ten of Britain’s potato growers decided to call it a day, but, according to Rob Clayton of the Potato Council, the 2013 acreage of potatoes in the UK has not fallen.

August 12, 2013

Farmers fight to reclaim the 'British New Potato'

Furious potato growers are going head to head with supermarkets and restaurants in a campaign to reclaim the "British New Potato".

Ishida iTPS system with enhanced CTC delivers 150 bags per minute

August 11, 2013

Ishida Pushes the Boundaries for Snacks Packing Speeds

Ishida Europe is introducing an enhancement to its market-leading Atlas range of snack food bagmakers which the company says will increase its already-high speeds on Potato Chips by a further 35% to a performance leading 150 bags per minute.

August 07, 2013

Soltens appointed to remove and recycle by-products from McCain Scarborough

Potato processor McCain has contracted Soltens to remove and recycle by-products from its Scarborough french fry factory.

August 06, 2013

Unichips closes Highlander crisps factory in Scotland

The Highlander crisps plant at Bathgate, West Lothian, closed on July 31 with the loss of 28 jobs.

August 06, 2013

Greenvale does its FareShare to fight food waste

Greenvale, the UK’s leading potato supplier, is putting spare spuds from its Shropshire site, Tern Hill and Cambridgeshire site, Floods Ferry, to good use by using them to tackle food waste by working with food distribution charity, FareShare.

August 06, 2013

‘Many Faces of Potatoes’ campaign successful

Potato Council’s summer ‘Many Faces of Potatoes’ campaign has been hailed a major success, following positive industry and consumer feedback.

The North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG)

August 04, 2013

2013 potato crop area estimates and progress in North-Western Europe

The North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) has issued an updated estimate of planted area for the 2013 crop (at the start of July).

August 02, 2013

Investcorp buys Tyrrells Potato Crisps for £100 million from Langholm Capital

Potato Chips Manufacturer Tyrrells Potato Crisps in the United Kingdom will get new ownership. Investcorp announced today that it has agreed to acquire Tyrrells Potato Crisps from Langholm Capital for £100 million.

July 15, 2013

Pepsico trials show benefits of drip irrigation

Despite one of the most challenging years in British farming history, with early droughts followed by widespread floods, PepsiCo surpassed the target of a one-third reduction in water use using drip irrigation at the same time as growing 'more crop per...

July 14, 2013

Tong Peal to Exhibit at Potato Europe in Emmeloord

Tong Peal Engineering is set to showcase its latest range of processing equipment at Europe’s largest potato exhibition in September, Potato Europe.

July 01, 2013

Open week at Tong Peal marks launch of new polishing system

Tong Peal Engineering will be hosting an open week later this month, to give growers and packers the opportunity to see its latest machinery in action.

June 30, 2013

Potato Council offers estimate of total potato plantings in Great Britain in 2013

The Potato Council’s first estimate of total potato plantings for the 2013 crop year in Great Britain is 121,200 hectares.

June 26, 2013

UK's Grow Your Own Potatoes: MPs lend a hand at harvesting time

Children across the United Kingdom have been harvesting new potato crops as part of the Potato Council’s primary school project, Grow Your Own Potatoes.

June 25, 2013

Sainsbury’s supports potato growers through the wettest summer in the UK for 100 years

Sainsbury’s has relaxed the product specification of Scottish potatoes to support farmers through one of the toughest seasons. The run of wet weather this season has left many Scottish farmers with crops of smaller potatoes with increased blemishes.