FDBusiness.com

Consumers in Ireland will buy 120 million packs of potatoes this year, spending €175 million on Irish-grown spuds (according to Kantar Worldpanel). To mark the start of the new potato season and to highlight how versatile and nutritious potatoes are, Bord Bia has enlisted the help of TV Dietitian, Aoife Hearne, to launch a new series of summer recipes (via potato.ie).

New season potatoes are closely associated with the summer months in Ireland and are a clear family favourite. Bord Bia has launched 20 summer recipes to mark the start of the new potato season with Aoife’s help, in her new role as ambassador for the ‘Potatoes – More Than A Bit On The Side’ campaign.

Speaking about the importance of including potatoes on the menu for both adults and children, Aoife says: “The taste of new season Queens is one that brings back great childhood memories for many and potatoes go hand in hand with healthy eating for adults and children. They are naturally fat free and gluten free and a great source of fibre, vitamin C and a variety of B vitamins. They also contain three times the amount of potassium of bananas.”

Aoife adds: “It’s really important that we dispel the myth that potatoes are fattening. Potatoes provide Irish people with a very important source of carbohydrates, which are essential for our bodies and particularly for brain function. They are an unprocessed carb, and an ideal way to provide the body with energy. Potatoes are a natural food, both versatile and delicious, making them a great food to include into the diet for all ages.”

Aoife, a member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, elaborates: “What a lot of parents might not realise is that the potato is soft in texture, is salt free and fat free. This means it is a great option for young children and in fact, potatoes can be a great first food for babies when they start to explore the world of solid foods, after they reach six months of age. For example, steamed potato fingers can be a great place to start when introducing solids into a baby’s diet.”

Lorcan Bourke of Bord Bia explains: “New season potatoes are the real taste of summer for many Irish people, so it’s an ideal time to highlight how versatile and nutritious potatoes really are. They are at the top of the shopping list in most Irish households and an estimated 120 million* packs of potatoes will be sold this year. We have engaged Aoife Hearne as potato ambassador for the campaign to remind people of the health benefits of potatoes, as well pointing out the many ways to use them. We are launching 20 family friendly summer recipes on www.potato.ie, to show how convenient and versatile the potato is, adding to the 40 other delicious recipes that are already on the website.”

To see the first crop of Queens, Aoife visited the farm of Pat Pettit in Carne, Co. Wexford. The Pettit family have been farming in the region since the 1800s and Pat is a seventh generation farmer. His son, James, and his grandchildren are set to carry on the potato growing tradition.

The three year ‘Potatoes – More Than A Bit On the Side’ campaign is co-funded by the EU, Ireland’s potato industry and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is managed in Ireland by Bord Bia and supported by the Irish Potato Federation and the Irish Farmers’ Association Potato Committee.