New potatoes

A Shropshire farm has been showcasing its first crop of the newest potato to be grown in Britain for 400 years. Named Mayan Gold, the crop has taken 15 years to develop after an ancient variety was brought back from Peru.

The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) in Dundee made the breakthrough using intensive breeding to trick the plant into forgetting its tropical roots. Greenvale, based in Market Drayton, is producing the potatoes commercially for the first time.

Nigel Kerby, from the SCRI, said it was found to have a very full flavour.

There is less yield per acre than with conventional potatoes but growers say they have more flavour than normal spuds, which bulk up on water, and are quicker to cook.

Paul Coleman, from Greenvale said: "It just delivers so much more for the consumer. We hope that this will revolutionise millions of dinner plates and that they will just appreciate the flavour of potatoes much, much more than they do with current varieties."

Deputy Food Minister Rhona Brankin said the potato demonstrated Scotland's outstanding science sector.

"The adaptation of a tasty potato native to equatorial regions to production in the Scottish climate shows the outstanding contribution science can make to our lives - and it takes less time to cook, saving both time and energy," she said.

Research institute director, Prof Peter Gregory, said: "This new product, resulting from a close partnership of strategic research and commercial know-how again demonstrates our commitment to the delivery of high quality and healthy food."

The potatoes are now being packed up for delivery to supermarkets this weekend.