Spud-Tastic BBQ Event Kicks Off Cornish New Potato Season

Branston, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of potatoes, recently celebrated the launch of the Cornish New potato season with a memorable event at Stennack Farm near St Ives.

In collaboration with Tesco and the Seasonal Spuds campaign, Branston hosted a BBQ that not only delighted the taste buds of attendees but also educated them about the versatility and quality of Cornish New potatoes.

Culinary Delights and Expert Tips

The event featured Cornish BBQ chef Marcus Bawdon of Country Wood Smoke and Branston’s Charlie Flack, also known as CharlieBoy_BBQ, who treated the guests to a mouth-watering array of Cornish-inspired dishes. The menu included picanha steak with chimichurri sauce, spiced butter monkfish, and spiced butter charred hispi cabbage, all complemented by various New potato dishes such as smashed New potato salad, crushed New potatoes with chermoula dressing, and hasselback New potatoes in a Vodka BBQ Sauce.

As BBQ season is in full swing, Marcus and Charlie shared their top grilling tips. They advised on building up layers of marinade for enhanced flavour, adding bone marrow to potatoes, and using indirect heat when cooking vegetables. Their key message was to have fun and experiment with food.

Engaging Activities and Insights

The event was attended by around 30 guests, including Cornish potato growers, local foodie influencers and bloggers, as well as representatives from Tesco and Branston. Guests enjoyed garden games provided by Cornwall Hire and hand-drawn caricatures by Cassie Kemp of Cornwall Caricatures, adding a fun and personalised touch to the evening.

Ben Mitchell, procurement and agronomy manager at Branston, gave an insightful talk on the complexities of growing early Cornish crops. This was followed by Harry Holder, assistant veg and potato buyer at Tesco, who expressed his enthusiasm for supporting British seasonal produce.

Sweet Endings and Takeaways

Even the dessert stayed on theme, with Branston’s development technologist Sam Dunn serving up a tasty sweet potato brownie. Guests also enjoyed Cornish gin from local distillery St Sithney and left with goodie bags filled with Cornish New potatoes, Cornish Sea Salt, Potato Vodka from Colwith Farm Distillery, aprons, and earring dishes from Jo Downs Handmade Glass. There were also prize draws for handmade glass wall art from Jo Downs and a bottle of Aval Dor Cornish vodka.

The Taste of Cornish New Potatoes

Cornish New Potatoes are among the earliest UK mainland New Potatoes of the summer. Thanks to the milder maritime climate, Cornish farmers can plant their spuds earlier than elsewhere in the UK. These potatoes are freshly harvested to order while still small and naturally sweet, with a delicate, fluffy skin.

Available in Tesco stores nationwide from now until mid-August, these potatoes are perfect for summer recipes. For more information and recipes, visit Seasonal Spuds.

About Branston

Branston is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of potatoes, providing quality produce to leading UK retailers and wholesalers, as well as seed for potato growers. With sites in Lincoln, Scotland, and the South West, Branston is committed to excellence in potato production. For more information, visit Branston.

Branston, in partnership with Tesco, hosted a delicious BBQ event to celebrate the Cornish New potato season at Stennack Farm near St Ives. Guests enjoyed insightful talks, Cornish-inspired dishes, and activities, all centred around the versatile Cornish New potatoes, available in Tesco stores nationwide through the summer.