Local sweet potatoes hit the shelves

Monday 25 January 2016

Life’s looking sweet for a new Jersey crop that has hit supermarket shelves in the Island.

Sweet potatoes that were planted here last summer, have been harvested and cured, and have gone on sale exclusively at Waitrose.

It's the first crop of them grown by the Jersey Royal Company, who dig up around 25,000 tonnes of our famous spuds each year. 

The company's commercial director Nigel Holliday said: “We’re really pleased that this trial crop has been so successful. We are initially supplying Waitrose in Jersey with a view to covering its Guernsey branches in due course. 

“If it proves to be popular then we hope to be in a position to sell to retailers beyond the Channel Islands and continue to expand the Jersey Royal Company’s offering.”

Gary Grace, who’s in charge of buying fresh food for Waitrose in the Channel Islands said: “We saw a growth of 27% in the last year as sweet potatoes continue to grow in popularity.  They are seen as healthier option with its creamy texture and sweet-spicy flavour that makes them ideal for savoury dishes.

“It’s pleasing to be able to offer our customers new locally-grown produce. We’re continually looking to increase the amount of local products we sell and support our Island growers at the same time as meeting the increased demand from our customers.

“We will continue to work with The Jersey Royal Company on this exciting project and we’re confident that this new offering will be very popular in our branches.”