Topic: Potato Days

[chrispea27]

I will be going to the one in Shipley anybody else goingto this one? :)

[philcooper]

DaveM,

Many thanks for mentioning the site.

To pick up on some of the points:

Running out of varieties is a problem at most potato days where the organiser's aim is to sell everything - but not at the Hampshire Day www.hhdra.org.uk/potatoday.htm where the stock moves from the day to Charlton Park Garden Centre in Wantage after the event - the object is to have enough stock to last till the end of Feb!

You don't have to queue outside (but there is no need to queue, see above). If you arrive early you'll be invited in to have a drink while you wait.

We also have beer - Hampshire Breweries have a stall

We have 143 distinct varieties on order (~20 of which are also available as organic seed) - we're still looking to make it 150!

That includes 12 unique (in the UK) Danish varieties and a French gourmet blue potato Vitelotte; we will also have a new German variety that the growers claim will crop in 60 days! - I'm just about to update the varieties list on the web.

And there's lots of other things going on, other plants, seeds, free seed potatoes for children ..... it's all on the website

Regards

Phil

[terrace max]

I will be going to the one in Shipley anybody else goingto this one? 

Bit of a scrum in previous years - I prefer to hide behind my computer and do it by mail order...

[Svea]

ok if you want to order a bag of tubers - not so useful if you want six of one, half a dozen of another variety to try ;)

[vee]

Chrispea, I went to the Shipley one last year with a wishlist. It was advertised to start at 11am and as it was the first potato day I'd ever been to I arrived at 11.20am. Big mistake... I have never seen anything like it except Harrods sale on the TV! There was very little left by 20 mins after the start and I just had to buy what was left and got none of the varieties I'd planned to buy. If you go I'd say get there very early. This year I'm buying from AlanRomans if I can persuade enough people on our site to share the postage.

[philcooper]

I'm buying from AlanRomans

I would go for one of the other suppliers such as Tuckers

Phil

[Derekthefox]

Hmmm Vee, your description does not fill me with confidence. I detest crowds at any time, but the thought of attending an A4A meet at such a time fills me with horror. The inclination for me to attend on the 29th is rapidly diminishing ...

Derekthefox :D

[vee]

Derek, you would have hated it then. It was so hot and crowded with everyone clutching carrier bags and grabbing what they could. Quite funny really.

Thanks Phil, I'll look at Tuckers as well.

[redimp]

I have pre-ordered 3 kgs of each of Duke of York and Maris Bard as first earlies, Ketrel and Maris Peer as 2nd Earlies and King Edward, Romano and Valor as maincrops, so I do not think I will have room for a potato fair this year.

[Derekthefox]

Yes every time I think about it, I feel worse ...

This would be my worst nightmare .

Derekthefox :D

[Moggle]

I think I will be giving the Hampshire one a go this year  :) By the time I got to Royton on sunday afternoon at the beginning of this year, lots of varieties were sold out  :(

[philcooper]

Moggle,

We'd love to see you there, and one else from A4A, and have a chat

Phil

[MikeB]

Is nobody trying Stonham barns on the 11th February?

[Meg]

Not only did we sit and laugh at every one from our car queing to get in, we also laughed at the people who couldn't get their car parked on the car park!! And yes varieties of pots had disappeared with no sign of any other's to come. It was quite a eye opener never stood so close to so many men for years. Thought I was quite intimate with a few. Not for the faint hearted then ;)http://

[moonbells]

Last year and the year before we got to Ryton very early and waited in the car until enough folk had arrived to form a queue of about 20-25, then we joined it. By the time they opened doors,  the queue was almost to the car park gate and cars were already being turned towards the reserve carpark.

We got to the marquee while it was still pretty much empty and were able to get a lot of what we wanted before too many folk got through the doors.

I would advise folk who've not been before to take a basket or something to carry the spuds about it, as when you've got half a dozen filled paper bags things can get dropped...  and when the place is like sardines you can't pick them up again.

Definitely recommend going early!

moonbells

[moonbells]

Replying to myself here... just looked at the Ryton variety list and they've dropped two of my favourites - bah - no Royal Kidney and (shock, horror) no Ratte!

 <grumble> the only reason I really want to go is the Highland Burgundy red and Salad blue tubers that were on sale last time - we just ate the last of them as roasties for Christmas dinner and they were superbly crispy as well as being fun!

Looks like a busy weekend - at this rate I'll be going to the HHDRA day as well!

Phil - were you chaps planning on having the novelty colours?

moonbells

[philcooper]

MB,

How dare you link anything as serious as potatoes with novelty.

We will have a blue (all through) French gourmet variety, Vitelotte. The growers, who I met in Holland last year claim that it sells at a premium rate in French markets because of its flavour.

See http://www.chefsimon.com/allblue.htm http://thepassionatecook.typepad.com/thepassionatecook/2004/12/seared_scallop_.html  http://scally.typepad.com/cest_moi_qui_lai_fait/2004/10/ustrongchips_de.html and http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2005/08/08/blue-vitelotte-potato-chips-with-cheddar-cheese/

We also will have (subject to delivery) Royal Kidney and Ratte. Full list of 143 varieties at www.hhdra.org.uk/potatoday.htm

For those in the South West I've just heard that there will be a Potato Day near Shepton Mallet on 5 Feb details at www.hhdra.org.uk/potatodays

Phil

PS a free Vitelotte will be in the post for giving me the opportunity for the blatant plug!  ;D

We have a tonne of seed so anyone wanting bulk orders its £30 for 25kg + carriage!!!

[mat]

Hi

I am new to this site (this is my first message) so I hope it appears correctly  ::) I decided (having seen it on the HDRA site a few weeks back) to go to the Hampshire day, as this is only just South down the dreaded A34 from me. 

Any hints or tips for this location? Any tips for a potato event newbee? I aim to buy between 3 and 9 tubers for 28 varieties (so as to see which I prefer!) I decided upon from the Alan Romans book and the list of varieties to be available... (plus a few others, e.g. vitelotte)

Phil - Is it essential to attend the Hampshire day on the Saturday, or will Sunday be fine?  The website implies there will be plenty of each variety on BOTH days.  Sunday would be easier for me, as I am supposed to be elsewhere on Saturday...

mat.

[redimp]

Hi mat (good name  ???)

The Hampshire day is Phil's day and I have heard that it is the best potato day in the country.  :)  free potato for me I think  ;D Don't know how to get there though.

Welcome to A4A.

[moonbells]

MB,

How dare you link anything as serious as potatoes with novelty.

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D  only kidding.  Serious? I have been on the blower today to Solanum to see if they are taking the red and blue ones to Ryton and they haven't got back to me...  I tried other places too, had a grand tour of Scottish seed potato growers on the web then quietly gave up.  They are fantastic old varieties and shouldn't be allowed to disappear quietly just cos they're the wrong shape of  irregular for the blinking supermarkets!

<ooops sorry... calm down moonbells>

We will have a blue (all through) French gourmet variety, Vitelotte. The growers, who I met in Holland last year claim that it sells at a premium rate in French markets because of its flavour.

See http://www.chefsimon.com/allblue.htm http://thepassionatecook.typepad.com/thepassionatecook/2004/12/seared_scallop_.html  http://scally.typepad.com/cest_moi_qui_lai_fait/2004/10/ustrongchips_de.html and http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2005/08/08/blue-vitelotte-potato-chips-with-cheddar-cheese/

oooh, can I grow your spuds???  ;)

We also will have (subject to delivery) Royal Kidney and Ratte. Full list of 143 varieties at www.hhdra.org.uk/potatoday.htm

Already spotted that. I'm currently making headway into persuading my lottie mate to switch from Coventry to Whitchurch...

For those in the South West I've just heard that there will be a Potato Day near Shepton Mallet on 5 Feb details at www.hhdra.org.uk/potatodays

Phil

PS a free Vitelotte will be in the post for giving me the opportunity for the blatant plug!  ;D

I think you just cheered me up no end.  A blue potato that isn't a microplant that refuses to grow in my silly soil.  (Can I collect?)

We have a tonne of seed so anyone wanting bulk orders its £30 for 25kg + carriage!!!

Blimey!  :o (I don't grow *that* many!!!)

moonbells