On Friday, May 12, 2017 at 7:33:03 PM UTC+1, Rod Speed wrote:
"Jethro_uk" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 12 May 2017 15:05:00 +0100, Stuart Noble wrote:

I'm old enough to remember the joy of new potatoes, Jersey Royals,
Cyprus new, or whatever. Now everything tastes of ****, whether it's
from Waitrose or the farmers' market. The only decent tasting spuds are
frozen mash or McCain's Simply Gorgeous chips. I've grown the most
delicious crop in builders buckets outside my back door, so what's so
bloody difficult?

"Free market", innit ?

1) Driving incentive for farmer is to grow as *much*, as *cheaply* (cf
easily) as possible. Presumably the easiest to grow are the cheapest.

Its not about the growing, its about the varietys
that do the best in the considerable time between
being in the dirt and ending up on your plate.

And when you consider trade is by *weight* then the temptation
to grow and sell varieties which hold a lot of water must immense.

Its not about that either.

2) Thick consumers with zero experience of real taste.

Or those who cant even get the stuff they like the taste of more.

Many years ago, I discovered a gorgeous tomato variety called "SunGold"..
It retailed briefly and disappeared from trace. (You can still buy seeds
for it). In it's place we have SunBurst, SunBlush,SunDream all of which
may as well be called "Sun****". I really can't remember the last time I
bought tomatoes *anywhere* in the UK. Even (especially) from "farm
shops". They are universally bland.

I now know why so many European ex-pats in the UK grow their own veg.

And don't get me started about apples......

See above.

Somewhere allof you there is a wholesaler who will sell you a paper bag of potatoes. The problem is supermarkets sell washed polythene bagged potatoes, they can only be ****. As for Jersey potatoes, they are only OK at best, filling a gap where the uk cant compete. Today I bought a paper bag of rooster potatoes which will do until the Duke of Yorks that I have planted grow.. Through the winter I have been eating Kerrs Pinks bought at £12 for a 25 kg bag. Find a local wholesaler. Find a farm that sells by the bag.