Irish consumers are expected to buy 13,000 tonnes of Queens this year
Early season Queens potatoes are soon to be front of mind for dinner tables in Irish homes as Carrigaline grower, John Griffin, prepares to harvest his first crop of the year.
To mark the arrival of these early season potatoes, Bord Bia is launching a series of summer recipes in conjunction with leading dietitian, Aoife Hearne. The TV dietician and nutritional expert is an ambassador for Bord Bia’s ‘Potatoes: More Than A Bit On The Side’ campaign which is aimed at encouraging more people to eat potatoes in Ireland. Hearne travelled to Griffin’s farm for the start of this year’s harvest, to see first-hand the Queens being harvested.
Father and son, Jim and John Griffin, have been farming Griffin’s farm in Carrigaline since the early 70s but the farm has been in the family since 1944. In Cork, there are about 40 potato growers, with over 450 growers in the whole of Ireland. This season, the Griffins hope to produce approximately 200 tonnes of early season Queens potatoes, mostly for local sales.
John Griffin commented on the harvest, “We’re delighted to harvest the first Queens potato crop of the season. The farm has been passed through generations of the Griffins family over several decades, and it fills us with pride that we will be supplying Ireland with a taste of the eagerly anticipated spud this year.”
Irish households are expected to spend approximately €5m on the much loved summer potato variety. Their excellent taste and delicate new season skin, means Queens are always in high demand across the country. Speaking about the importance of potatoes as part of a healthy and balanced diet, Aoife Hearne said, “The season has finally arrived for Queens, and I can’t wait to serve them up to my own family and friends. They have been a staple part of my summer diet ever since I can remember and I know this is the case for so many people in Ireland. Potatoes are timeless, and as they are naturally fat free and gluten free, they are a great food ingredient to include in meals for both adults and children to improve overall health.”
The three year ‘Potatoes: More Than a Bit on the Side’ campaign is co-funded by the EU, the Irish potato industry and the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. Lorcan Bourke of Bord Bia, said, “Irish people love the arrival of new season potatoes and we’re really excited to announce this year’s arrival of Queens. It’s that very special taste of Queens that makes them a much loved taste of Irish summers. With respected dietician, Aoife Hearne supporting us, we want to shout about the nutritional values of potatoes especially considering their genuine health credentials. Potatoes are the ultimate versatile food. We are inviting the public to check out all our delicious potato recipes including our summer ones, by simply visiting www.potato.ie.”