Brits opt for the posh potato

Mashed, roasted, baked or simply boiled, the potato has always held a special place at the heart of the British diet. And while potatoes have seen floundering volume sales, due to being left out of the ‘5 a day’ campaign and having a reputation for being the ‘white bread’ of fruit and veg, all is not lost for the humble potato. Indeed, latest research from MINTEL shows that the market value has grown by 20% since 2001, with Brits increasingly opting for more up-market, premium varieties. Indeed, this age old British favourite clearly scrubs up well, with shoppers forking out just shy of £1.5 billion on spuds last year alone. No couch potatoOne sector that seems to be out of synch with the rest of the market is dehydrated potato, such as Smash. First introduced commercially in the 1950s, dehydrated potato has long since been a favourite amongst campers and girl guides alike. And while all other potato varieties have seen volumes fall or at most, remain static over the last few years, volume sales of dehydrated potato have grown by an impressive 22% since 2004.