From Susan Syvret.
LAST week I arranged for my neighbours and me to receive packs of Jersey Royals from Holme Grown in Grouville.
The packs arrived promptly and were eagerly devoured, as the reputation of these potatoes is well-known. In short, the potatoes were absolutely delicious.
One neighbour then went to our local Waitrose supermarket in Newmarket and bought a prepacked plastic packet of Jersey Royals. She said that they tasted awful and would not be buying any more.
I explained that most of the crop is now harvested by machines and not by hand. It is also clear that in preparing the potatoes for sale, supermarkets are not treating them with the respect they deserve.
Traditional farming methods in Jersey for the Jersey Royal have almost been lost, which is a real shame because ultimately English consumers are not prepared to tolerate the poor product currently being sold mostly through the supermarket network here.
It is not the first time in recent years that friends and colleagues have told me how disappointed they have been eating what was a Jersey product of great repute.
33 Robin Close,
Mildenhall,
Bury St Edmunds,
Suffolk.
