In Season Now: Cornish New Potatoes
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Spring has sprung - it's Cornish New potato time!
Some of the earliest Cornish New potatoes are available as soon as in late April. At first there's just a trickle of these hand-harvested little beauties on sale in local shops. Then as the weather warms up sequential planting really comes into its own, with enough Cornish New potatoes to supply retailers across the UK through May, June and July.
These are proper New potatoes - with a mild, sweet taste and a delicate fluffy skin. Not all retailers will shout about their Cornish provenance: sometimes you’ll need to check the packs to see where they’re from.
We work with selected farmers across Cornwall who have the expertise to work in harmony with the landscape, protecting it for future generations while getting the best out of their crops.
Our growers know where to plant first and they work in sequence across their land so that their Cornish New potatoes are the first fresh New potatoes grown in mainland UK to reach major consumer stores, each year.
Working closely with growers, we carefully select Early potato varieties with a delicate flavour and a firm, slightly waxy texture, which enables them to hold their shape well when cooked.
Sequential planting not only makes the most of the milder climate closer to the coast but also means that these potatoes are freshly harvested throughout the season and brought to stores in the shortest amount of time possible. They are harvested while the leaves are still green above the ground so the skins are thin and delicate.
We've got some great Cornish New potatoes recipes for you to try
Fresh, delicious Cornish New potatoes are so easy to cook. Just give them a wash and a gentle rub to clean them and steam or boil for around 15 minutes until they're tender. Their fresh taste is a perfect partner to so many summer foods.
If you want more inspiration we've developed an exciting range of healthy, family-friendly recipes which use Cornish New potatoes, ranging from summer potato salads and traybakes, to barbecue sides and tagines.
Click here to browse our Cornish New potato recipe selection.
Meet a Cornish potato farmer...
Phil Rogers is from West Cornwall. His family has been working with Branston for more than 25 years.
Phil grows Cornish New potatoes on some of the best land across Cornwall, from St Buryan to Newquay. His family have been farming in West Cornwall since the mid 1800s, with potato growing expertise passed down through generations. They’ve farmed at Pengelly Barton near Breage since 1967.
“Some of our earliest crops are grown in the rich, fertile fields overlooking the sea. The milder sea air helps to keep frost at bay and enables the crops to get a really early start.
“As they’re growing we use natural seaweed extract to feed the plants and we monitor them really closely so that we can start harvesting as soon as they’re ready. They’re harvested while the plants are still green above the ground. This means that the skins are papery thin and they retain more their natural sweetness.”
Why are Cornish New potatoes so good for you?
- Naturally fat free
- Gluten free
- High in fibre
- Rich in vitamins B6 and C
- A good source of essential minerals including potassium and iron
Did you know?
Being the most south westerly point of mainland UK means that Cornwall is the first part of the country to warm up in the spring. With nowhere in Cornwall more than 20 miles from the sea, it also benefits from a milder maritime climate, with sea breezes that help to keep the fields largely frost-free.
Cornish farmers work with the natural landscape and its particular microclimates to spread their planting and harvesting across the season so that they can harvest little and often for maximum freshness.
Cornish New Potatoes are true New potatoes – harvested while the leaves are still green above the ground for a soft fluffy skin and a delicate sweet flavour.
They use acclimatised seed that has been grown in Cornwall the previous season so that it is ideally suited to the local conditions.
Cornish farmers grow carefully selected Early varieties of potatoes that are ideally suited to their different fields.
Fast-growing Rocket is one of the earliest, which tends to be popular locally, and you can see it for sale at farm shops as early as April. Next comes Jazzy, then Maris Peer, Gemson and Lady Christl. These are all perfect Early potato varieties, with a mild, slightly sweet taste and a firm texture that keeps it shape when cooked.