Potatoes face a half-baked future unless younger people can be turned on to the humble spud, the industry warned today.
Though the credit crunch has helped boost UK consumption of the staple crop over the past year, the potato's time might be running out unless younger people can be switched on to its benefits, growers said.
The growth in fresh potato sales – nearly 6% in value and 3% in volume – is driven by older shoppers despite recent attempts to sell the tuber that helped Britain dig for victory during the second world war to a younger audience.
Figures published by the government-backed Potato Council suggested a third of people under 30 do not even know how to boil or bake potatoes. Young families account for less than a sixth of the boiled potato market, while retired people make up nearly a half and non-retired people whose children have left home nearly a quarter.
Potato consumption among women shoppers aged 45-65 increased by 3%, while that among women aged 25-35 rose just 1%. And while potatoes feature in three-fifths of meals cooked by young families, they occupy four in five of those cooked by pensioners. The picture is equally bleak when it comes to knowledge of the May to July "new potato" season or key growing regions for the crop such as Cornwall and Lincolnshire.
The statistics, measures of carbohydrate consumption and online polling make rather gloomy reading. Potato consumption long ago slipped below 100kg a person a year, compared with the estimated 120kg for the war years, but it is clear the industry faces a long haul to woo younger eaters, despite efforts last year to convince such consumers of the produce's high nutrient and low fat and calorie content.
Kathryn Race, marketing director of the Potato Council, said the make-up of the £1bn market was worrying. "Housewives aged over 45 account for 66% of the fresh potato spend, so winning the support of young mums with young children is key if we want the next generation to grow up loving the potato.
"If consumers are not introduced to potatoes at an early age the long-term implications for the British potato industry could be significant," she said.
It was clear that "young families don't understand or simply don't care", Race added. "The starts of the asparagus and strawberry seasons are celebrated nationwide, and we are encouraging consumers to think in the same way. A portion of new potatoes costs just 13p and its versatility means there's an endless choice of easy dishes for eating in."
More on spuds
Which type of potato should I use
A recipe we like, and another one, and one more
