Speakers at a GB Potatoes seminar during the British Potato Event in Harrogate outlined the challenges and opportunities shaping future potato consumption in the UK and international markets.
Professor David Hughes said UK per capita potato consumption stands at around 70 kilograms a year, with processed products making up a growing share. He noted that the UK is 63 per cent self-sufficient in potatoes despite having favourable growing conditions. He added that the UK grows three times the potato area of the Netherlands and Belgium, yet imports large volumes of potatoes and chips from those countries as well as France, which is rapidly expanding its potato area.
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Hughes said changing eating habits among younger consumers will require adjustments from food companies. "My young teen grandson's generation is digital natives who define convenience completely differently from their parents," he said. He remarked that fresh potatoes face increasing competition for both physical and digital retail space as shoppers look for meal solutions, and that the space allocated to fresh potatoes is shrinking.
He also commented on innovation and health messaging, noting opportunities for products designed for air fryers, while also pointing out that the rapid adoption of GLP-1 weight-control drugs may influence carbohydrate intake. He said some fruit and vegetable sectors highlight nutritional attributes and added that a medium baked potato contains twice as much potassium as a medium-sized banana.
Cedric Porter, editor of World Potato Markets, described how European processing potatoes continue to enter the UK in large volumes. He reported that imports of frozen chips reached more than 850,000 tons this year, mainly from Belgium and the Netherlands. He said both countries are now facing growing competition from newer exporters, including China, whose fry exports doubled to more than 350,000 tons in the past year, and India, where exports increased 40 per cent to 234,000 tons. He noted that combined Chinese and Indian exports remain slightly above the annual export totals of Belgium and the Netherlands.
James Young, vice president of agriculture at McCain and GB Potatoes board member, said the seminar prompted wide discussion among attendees.
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