Potatoes – the star of the plate

Potatoes are remarkable bundles of nutrition that can be used in endless ways. Few foods can match their combination of affordability, versatility and nutritional value.

Surrounded by potato boxes, that was the message guests heard at a special potato lunch held in a Lincolnshire potato store recently.

Food and farming writers joined potato growers, chefs, packers and nutritionists to celebrate the UK’s favourite and most versatile vegetable and discuss its future over a variety of potato dishes. In a 2026 YouGov poll, potatoes had a 98% recognition rate and a 90% popularity ranking, beating carrots and garlic to first place, with new potatoes at number four.

At the Long Table lunch, organised by GB Potatoes, Registered Nutritionist Haley Bell launched new data highlighting the potato as a ‘Nutritional Powerhouse’.

“Not only are potatoes a great source of nutrition, they offer great value and versatile dishes that appeal to everyone.”

The guidance includes:

• Potatoes are completely fat-free and contain zero saturated fats
• Potatoes are salt-free. Reducing sodium intake supports normal blood pressure
• Potatoes provide 2.7g of fibre per 100kcal
• Potatoes are high in potassium which supports normal muscle function
• Potatoes are low in sugars – only 1.4g per 100g
• Potatoes are a source of thiamine which supports normal energy release from food and normal mental function

“There is also evidence that cooking potatoes and then allowing them to cool increases resistant starch, which aids digestion and prevents blood sugar spikes.”

Haley also said that potatoes are not on the list of 14 major allergens and can be eaten by vegans and meat eaters alike.

A chef that understands the value and versatility of the potato is 2024 BBC Masterchef The Professionals winner Daniel Merriman. He treated the guests to a chocolate dessert made with cream infused with potato crisps. He said:

“I love ingredients. I love finding out what they can do, I love taking something familiar and looking at it in a slightly different way, and most importantly, I love making food that people enjoy eating. There are very few ingredients that give you quite as much freedom as the potato.”

He took issue with the phrase ‘humble potato.’

“Yes, potatoes are familiar. They’re accessible. They’re something that most of us have grown up eating, but humble? I think we might be selling the potato a little bit short. Roast it. Fry it. Bake it. Mash it. Purée it. Crisp it or even use it in a dessert! Make it the star of the plate.”

The guests enjoyed baked potatoes with a variety of toppings from Alfy Gower’s Spudwagon. Based in Louth, Lincolnshire, Alfy was inspired by the success of TikTok sensation Spudman to set up his own potato wagon. He has found the same warm reception as Spudman for a food that all the family can enjoy, serving potatoes from his town-centre pitch and at special events.

Demonstrating the versatility of potato, guests tasted Edwards potato vodka. Ben Mordue of potato company AKP that launched the vodka, described how using potatoes gives vodka a much creamier, smoother taste than cereal-based vodka allowing it to be drunk on its own without a mixer. Over the vodka and crisps provided by KP Snacks, guests discussed the versatility of potatoes that is seeing them being used to make high quality protein powder, plastics and even clothing.

Scott Walker, chief executive of GB Potatoes, shared early details of the organisation’s planting and production survey suggesting that the UK planted area this year was about 100,000 hectares, representing a drop of about 20% over the last decade, but some recent stability in area.

“UK potato growers are dedicated to the crop and have invested in its production, seeing it as an important part of their rotations.”

Potatoes punching above their weight

Figures from Defra show that the UK potato crop was worth £1.5 billion in 2025, 4% of total agricultural value from a crop that accounted for only 0.6% of farmland. The value of the potato crop was similar to the value of egg production and 36% more than the value of UK fruit production. Potatoes are the second highest value crop in the UK after wheat.

The UK has the third highest potato yields in the world after New Zealand and the US, data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation reveals. High yields help deliver more food per hectare and reduce the crop’s environmental footprint, with the UK’s potato yields more than double the global average.

Long Table host farmer Alex Godfrey, who grows 20,000 tonnes of potatoes a year for a number of markets, said that while there are as few as 1,000 seriously commercial potato growers left in the country, they are dedicated and passionate about the crop.

“Every grower has a complex and highly developed strategy to get the best out of their crop, and the end result is anything but humble – it is a masterpiece of the art and science of growing potatoes.”

“I used the words art and science deliberately – as a grower it often feels like an art, but the decisions are informed by science; there is a bank of historic research to guide us and an ongoing need for more to address the challenges we are facing today.”

While focusing on the opportunities facing British potato growers, Alex did highlight that this year’s drought has highlighted the need for secure water supplies so that growers can deliver the potatoes people love.

He ended with a rallying call:

“It is a crying shame that British consumers are passing up too many opportunities to benefit from the nutrition in and enjoy the fantastic taste of this masterpiece.  So, there’s my final challenge, which I know you’re all on board with – let’s get eating spuds.”

Click here to access the Nutritional Powerhouse leaflet.

Media and Press: Katie Insch – gbpotatoes@jcmandco.media