A boost for British earlies

British early potatoes received a boost this week following the launch of a new campaign by the British Potato Council.

Britains Free for Kids campaign, which began yesterday (12 May), has led to retailers building an estimated 10% sales into their plans, according to the BPC.

The promotion will be featured on 14 million packs and punnets, which represents around 25,000t of British earlies, it claims.

“The aim of the campaign was to pull all the individual retailers together, and get them to agree a starting date for the promotion,” said a spokeswoman for the BPC.

“We have succeeded in getting the commitment from the top eight national supermarket chains and over 100 independent retailers. Together they have put through a substantially increased volume of earlies for the start of the campaign.”

Britains Free for Kids is the largest ever earlies consumer promotion. It allows shoppers children to gain free access to theme parks, swimming pools and restaurants nation-wide when the on-pack vouchers are claimed.

Head potato buyer from Tesco, Roy Maynard, said the campaign should certainly boost sales this season.

In April the BPC and NFU launched a joint campaign to raise awareness of the British new potato and to encourage consumers to “shake off the winter and enjoy the fresh, new flavour of home-grown British potatoes.”

A bus has also been touring the country visiting schools and supermarkets, offering free samples and other promotional material.

NFU vice president, Richard Watson Jones spoke very positively of the campaigns. “It is an ambitious plan and I hope theyre successful. Any encouragement to the promotion of British earlies is to be welcomed.

“After a difficult season in 1999, the Free for Kids campaign should see a definite pick up in the market this year.”