Jersey Royal – ‘King of Spuds’ to keep its protected status

Tuesday 30 August 2016

It may only be a starchy tuber from the perennial nightshade Solanum Tuberosum, but the humble Jersey potato is a protected spud – and it will stay that way post-Brexit.

Following the UK referendum to leave the EU there have been myriad scare stories suggesting that the likes of Melton Mowbray pork pies, Cornish clotted cream and – dare we say it, the Jersey Royal potato - now have their protected status under threat.

It’s a hot potato of a subject as Islanders are fiercely proud of their own regal spuds. In fact, it’s enough to have fans of the Jersey Royal turning in their saucepans, but is it true? 

“Nonsense,” insists John Garton of Genuine Jersey, who says the Jersey Royal is a protected ‘brand’ and will stay that way – regardless of whether the United Kingdom, or the Island, is in or out of the EU.

Mr Garton said: “It’s rubbish. Columbian coffee has been given the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status and Columbia is not exactly in Europe. The PDO has nothing to do with the EU and you don’t have to be in Europe to have one.

“I’ve heard of articles saying this and that are under threat, well, it is nonsense. The fact is that PDOs have nothing whatsoever to do with being in or out of Europe, otherwise Columbian coffee wouldn’t have one. The decision by the UK population referendum to leave the EU does not affect PDO status in any way.

“I have spoken to Iain Norris, the agricultural consultant for the States of Jersey and I asked him what does this mean for us in Jersey in the light of the EU vote? He confirmed that Jersey Royals are not affected.” 

Jersey Royal potatoes were one of the first UK products to receive PDO status in 1996 and 24 other products in the UK have now obtained the same status, including Lakeland Herdwick lamb, Isle of Mann Manx Laoghtan lamb, Buxton blue cheese and Native Shetland Wool.