It’s National Potato Day and the stats are clear – Ireland still loves the delicious potato!
Irish potato purchase reaches highest level in 5 years, up 17% since 2017
“It All Starts With Potatoes” - Bord Bia campaign celebrates the versatility of Ireland’s favourite vegetable
#NationalPotatoDay | @bordbia
Friday 1st October, Bord Bia’s National Potato Day, the annual celebration of Ireland’s favourite vegetable, the potato! Recent Kantar Worldpanel statistics show that fresh potato purchasing in Ireland has grown steadily over the last five years, with the volume of retail sales 17% higher than in 2017. In addition, Irish potato growers produced an estimated 37 million, or 294, 370 tonnes, of potatoes in 2020.
‘It All Starts With Potatoes’
This year Bord Bia is showing consumers that when it comes to creating delicious meals, “It all starts with potatoes!” Whether it’s a warming potato curry after a hike, a nutritious potato salad after yoga or a shepard’s pie for a mid-week family meal, potato dishes are perfect for nearly every lifestyle, activity and meal occasion.
As part of the annual celebrations, National Potato Day Campaign Ambassador, Chef Kwanghi Chan has shared three Asian-inspired potato dishes which showcase the versatility of this tasty vegetable.
According to Kwanghi, “So many dishes can start with potatoes because they are such a versatile ingredient. A lot of people don’t realise it but potatoes are ideal to use in Asian cooking as they carry the flavours of spices and herbs so well. Potatoes are also really simple and convenient to cook with. You can leave the skin on, chop into small cubes and they will cook in ten minutes. My top three suggestions for delicious potato meals are to add potatoes to mixed vegetable stir-fries, creamy curries or to an easy-to-make homemade spice-bag!”
Celebrating Our Potato Growers
National Potato Day also provides an opportunity to celebrate Irish potato growers, who between them harvested a mammoth 37 million potatoes in 2020!
John Sheridan from Kilberry Co. Meath began growing potatoes professionally in 1967. His son Mark now farms the land with his cousin Noel.
“ When my father started growing potatoes, back then on a good day they could harvest 10-12 tonnes, all of which were handpicked. Now, we are harvesting 400 tonnes per day using mechanisation, which is about 50,000 potatoes! The development of the Rooster variety of potato in Ireland transformed potato farming with its beautiful clean pinkish skin finish that people like. The arrival of Rooster and increased mechanisation gave our business a whole new start.”
Speaking about the campaign, Lorcan Bourke, Sector Manager of Fresh Produce and Potato in Bord Bia said, “There are circa 700 registered potato growers in Ireland, and almost half of those are farming larger field-scale commercial operations, which shows the importance of this sector. Potatoes remain Ireland’s most preferred carbohydrate which is testament to their versatility and true to the old Irish adage that ‘when there’s a bag of potatoes in the house, there’s a meal in the home’.
It is really encouraging to see the growth in potato sales over the last five years. Covid-19 was certainly a driver in the early part of 2020 as consumers turned to familiar foods. Prior to this potato sales had been increasing as consumers recognise the role they can play in a healthy and balanced diet. As the nation embraced more outdoor activities during lockdown, we are keen to highlight the role that potatoes can play in active lifestyles. The theme ‘It all starts with potatoes’ highlights that so many delicious dishes start with potatoes as the core ingredient, and by fuelling with potatoes, we are ready to take on any sport or leisure.”
Recipe inspiration
There are currently more than 200 delicious potato recipes available to try out on Potato.ie. Bord Bia is encouraging people to share their favourite potato recipes online, tagging @BordBia and using the hashtag #NationalPotatoDay.
For more information visit bordbia.ie/potatoes
