- Sainsbury’s kicks off Jersey Royal season with potatoes available earlier than expected
London, 2017-Mar-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — This year, Sainsbury’s will be the first major retailer to kick off the prestigious and long awaited Jersey Royal season with potatoes available earlier than expected in selected stores from Wednesday 8th March.
Due to a milder winter than 2016, the seasonal favourite will be in stores a week earlier than last spring. Both the Hedge End and Portswood stores will be the first supermarkets across of the south of the country to give a royal welcome to one of the nation’s favourite springtime products which will be priced at £2.50 per kg and sold loose. Availability is set to increase each week dependent on weather conditions, with 500g and 1kg packs due in stores from the beginning of April. Sainsbury’s is expecting to sell in excess of four million kgs of Jersey Royal potatoes this season.
Farmed on the North West of the channel island, farmers Didier and Christine Helio harvest the premium potatoes in a greenhouse. Didier’s family began farming over 65 years ago and have a unique process for producing quality Jersey Royal New Potatoes. Seaweed gathered from local beaches acts as a natural fertiliser through the autumn ahead of the seeds being planted by hand in December and January. The crop was given a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) from the European Union which combined with the unusual growing process, safeguards the product’s optimum taste.
Elaine Serra, Potato buyer at Sainsbury’s says: “It’s great news that we’re able to kick start the Jersey Royal season and due to the warmer weather over the winter it’s a whole week earlier than last year. As with all Sainsbury’s products it’s important that we only sell Jersey Royals when they’re at their best so despite it being earlier in the year we’re sure the potatoes will taste as good as ever!”
Didier Helio, farmer, continues: “We have supplied Jersey Royal New Potatoes to Sainsbury’s since 2008. Our potatoes are packed for Sainsbury’s in a state of the art packing facility, built on the island by Albert Bartlett. This investment has revolutionised the supply of Jersey Royals into the UK mainland; during the main season the potatoes are washed, cooled and packed on the same day as I harvest them, this gives real benefits in freshness and quality for Sainsbury’s customers.”
From Wednesday 8th March, loose Jersey Royal potatoes priced at £2.50 per kg will be available in Hedge End and Portswood stores
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Source: Sainsbury
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