Branston potato growers gathered in Caythorpe, Lincolnshire this week to preview new potato varieties that could soon be destined for UK supermarket shelves.

Among the varieties highlighted were a new salad potato, described as having a nutty flavour, and the Inca Rosa, a quick-cooking white potato with pink eyes. Both are part of Branston’s variety development programme, which stages its annual field walk event for growers across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Martin Stothard, Branston’s technical lead for seed, varieties and innovation, said the event was a chance to introduce growers to varieties moving through the trial process.

“We’ve been showing a host of varieties that have been undergoing various trials, with some nearing completion for growing commercially in readiness to be packed up for supermarket shelves,” Stothard said.

“Our field walk event is a great opportunity to collaborate with growers by demonstrating the new varieties that are coming through and to exchange insights on topics such as yields and disease resistance.”

The trial site, rented from GR Ward and Co, featured 25 plots of potatoes at different stages of development, from evaluation through to semi-commercial and commercialisation. Branston, a main supplier to Tesco, grades and analyses the potatoes before sharing performance data with growers.

The salad potato – developed in partnership with the James Hutton Institute in 2015 – has been in trials for 10 years. Stothard said:

“It’s taken 10 years to go through trials, which is a standard timeframe. It’s got an impressive parentage, one of which is a high-yielding variety, and has a firm, waxy texture and nice nutty taste. We’re really proud of it.”

Another highlight was the Inca Rosa, a Peruvian-influenced variety that cooks in nearly half the time of standard potatoes.

“The small plots on show to growers included salads, white and red varieties and are a really good test of how they will perform in the field and be produced on a bigger scale,” Stothard added.

“Forward-thinking growers are looking for the next variety that’s a little bit different and can perform well in varying conditions. Our event is a great way of sharing knowledge.”

Buyers and agronomy experts from Branston were joined by John Worth, Tesco’s specialist technical and development manager.

“It’s always interesting to attend field visits and talk to growers and suppliers about the new varieties coming through,” Worth said. “There is some exciting innovation taking place and, as a company, Tesco has been working hard to get closer to growers so that we can offer the best quality potatoes to our customers.”