F I R S T E A R L I E S ABBOT Abbot seed potatoes are a great variety for roasting and chipping, as they do not absorb too much oil. The healthy plants are double eelworm-resistant and have good resistance to slugs and blackleg. The long, white-skinned tubers have purple eyes and are often seen on the showbench. ARRAN PILOT Arran Pilot seed potatoes are the nation s favourite garden-grown variety. Arran Pilot has been around since 1930 and has remained popular due to its excellent taste and early boiling ability. Arran Pilot produces high yields of white-skinned tubers with shallow eyes. The flesh is pure white and is among the best boiling potato available. Great resistance to all forms of scab, and scores a high 9 for spraing resistance. CASABLANCA Casablanca seed potatoes are a new, white-skinned first early with the potential to beat Winston on the showbench. A clean, smooth white with shallow eyes makes Casablanca an exhibitor s delight, while its cooking ability make it a chef s dream with the ability to chip, bake or boil really nicely. Edible size crops can be achieved in 62 days from planting. 2 DUKE OF YORK Duke of York seed potatoes are an old heritage potato variety, first entered on the national list back in 1891. Since their introduction, Duke of York soon became famous for their great taste and all-round culinary use in the kitchen. Duke of York potatoes are oval shaped with yellow flesh. Once they are boiled, Duke of York potatoes are dry and mealy, making them an ideal variety to boil straight from your garden. Duke of York seed potatoes show good resistance to dry rot.
F I R S T E A R L I E S DUNLUCE Dunluce seed potatoes were first bred by Jack Clarke (who famously bred the Ulster range of potatoes) back in 1976. Dunluce potatoes are round to oval in shape, their eyes are shallow and the skin is white, as is their flesh. Dunluce is highly recommended for great crops of early potatoes. Dunluce shows great resistance to all forms of scab and resistance to disintegration when boiling. EPICURE Epicure seed potatoes are also known as Ayrshires with them being the traditional early potato in that particular area. Epicure produces high yields of floury, white-fleshed tubers that are round in shape. By far one of the best tasting first earlies which are now making a comeback by popular demand. An old heritage variety, Epicure potatoes have the ability to recover quickly from a nip of frost, which is what makes them so popular in early producing areas (such as Ayrshire). FOREMOST Foremost seed potatoes (originally called Suttons Foremost) are a variety of heritage potatoes first added to the national variety list in 1954. Although Foremost was an instant hit with gardeners who liked its excellent flavour and resistance to disintegration when boiling, its average-sized yields and disease resistance meant it never really took off commercially. That said, it does have good common scab resistance. Foremost potatoes are short to oval in shape with white skin and waxy, white flesh. HOME GUARD Home Guard seed potatoes are a heritage variety, well known for their early-lifting ability. Introduced in 1942, Home Guard was the main potato grown during the Second World War, and was a commercial success due to its consistently high yields of fresh, tasty potatoes. Home Guard potatoes have white skins and white flesh. Short, oval tubers with shallow eyes are the most common shape for this variety. Disease-wise, Home Guard has a high resistance to all forms of scab and spraing. 3
F I R S T E A R L I E S LADY CHRISTL Lady Christl seed potatoes produce very early oval tubers of a medium size with good size yields. Lady Christl tubers are yellow skinned, with great tasting, creamy-towaxy flesh. Shows good all-round disease resistance, in particular to common scab and potato cyst nematode. MARIS BARD Maris Bard seed potatoes produce high-yielding crops of a good, even size and, for many years, was the leading first early for maturing the fastest. Maris Bard potatoes are oval shaped with white skins, shallow tuber eyes, and white flesh. Maris Bard are best suited to boiling and early salad use in the kitchen simply dig, wash, boil and serve. Good resistance against common scab. ORGANIC COLLEEN A great all-round Irish potato with good disease resistance. Yellow flesh and skin, excellent for boiling and frying. 4 PENTLAND JAVELIN Pentland Javelin seed potatoes were bred by a young Jack Dunnett back in 1968 and have, for many years, been considered to be one of the finest first earlies that can be grown. Pentland Javelin produces heavy crops of short, oval, white-skinned tubers with pure white, tasty flesh. A great potato to simply throw into the pan and boil for salads. Pentland Javelin has good, all-round disease resistance to common scab and blackleg.
F I R S T E A R L I E S PREMIERE Premiere seed potatoes are a high-yielding, first early variety, oval-to-round in shape, with shallow eyes. Introduced in 1979, Premiere potatoes are popular due to their great, all-round disease resistance to blight, common scab, powdery scab, spraing and potato cyst nematode. Premiere tubers are yellow skinned, and the flesh is also yellow and very tasty. RED DUKE OF YORK Red Duke of York seed potatoes are a heritage potato variety dating back to 1942 and produce red-skinned tubers with shallow eyes and yellow flesh. The first Red Duke was said to be found amongst a crop of white dukes in Holland. Red Dukes are a dry, mealy potato packed with flavour and do not disintegrate on boiling. Many major supermarkets and retailers are now stocking Red Duke of York as their best of the best/finest range. ROCKET Rocket seed potatoes, when first released in 1987, were the quickest bulking of all early potatoes. Rocket s ability to grow large crops of uniformed round tubers made it very popular. Considered to be one of the better exhibition potatoes at the time, Rocket tubers are white fleshed and skinned, with shallow eyes and a mild taste. There is good resistance to blackleg, common scab and spraing. Tip: Lifting your Rocket potatoes before full maturity is recommended to prevent the tubers from cracking. SHARPES EXPRESS Sharpes Express seed potatoes were first added to the national potato variety list in 1901 and they have been going strong ever since. Sharpes Express tubers are long and oval shaped with white skins and pale, lemon-coloured flesh. Their highly dry matter makes Sharpes Express a great potato in the kitchen with great all-round cooking use. Sharpes Express has a fine flavour and is suited to boiling, roasting and chipping. Sharpes Express has good resistance to common scab, and tubers have shallow eyes. 5
6 F I R S T E A R L I E S SWIFT Swift seed potatoes are the earliest of earlies, with crops being harvested in as little as 60 days. A high-yielding variety that produces a round-to-oval shaped white tuber with creamy flesh and shallow eyes. A real all-rounder in the kitchen, Swift has been bred for early use in the north of Scotland so you can be assured this is a hardy variety. Great disease resistance to blackleg, common scab, powdery scab and eelworm resistance, Swift is an ideal variety to grow in containers for early use. ULSTER PRINCE Ulster Prince seed potatoes are a famous first early variety, first listed in 1947 and were renowned for their boiling qualities when cooked straight after harvest. Ulster Prince tubers are long and white, with shallow eyes and white flesh. Ulster Prince has good resistance to common scab, powdery scab and disintegration in the pan when boiling. Excellent drought resistance makes Ulster Prince a very popular potato in Cumbria, Lancashire and the surrounding counties. ULSTER SCEPTRE Ulster Sceptre seed potatoes are oval-to-long in shape, with white flesh and white skin. A popular choice of potato on the west coast of England, Ulster Sceptres are also known as Cheshire potatoes and Ormskirk potatoes due to their popularity in these areas. Ulster Sceptre has high resistance to foliage blight, common scab and powdery scab, whist this variety has many uses in the kitchen including boiling and roasting. Ulster Sceptre has also been known to be a good exhibition potato in its day. WINSTON Winston seed potatoes, another Jack Dunnett variety, have proved to be both a commercial and an exhibition success all in one. Released in 1992 this white-skinned variety has been unstoppable on the showbench circuit, winning many titles year after year. Winston produces high yields of smooth, shallow-eyed tubers that are short-to-oval in shape. Their flesh has a firm texture and a creamy colour, whilst their very low dry matter would see Winston described as a wet potato. Winston potatoes have excellent all-round disease resistance.
S E C O N D E A R L I E S BONNIE Bonnie seed potatoes are well known for early production of bold, even-sized tubers making them a must-have for any serious showbench potato exhibitor. The potatoes have a bright skin finish with red splash around shallow eyes. Bonnie potatoes bake well with good taste-test results. Bonnie seed potatoes have good resistance to black dot, good dormancy, good resistance to blackleg, common scab and potato cyst nematode Ro1. Susceptible to powdery scab and potato virus Y. BRITISH QUEEN British Queen seed potatoes are an old variety of heritage potatoes first listed in 1894. British Queen potatoes (known in Ireland as Queens ) are oval in shape with white skin and white flesh. A dry and floury potato, packed with taste and particularly good when boiled. British Queen is now a rare variety, only grown in small quantities in the UK, but growing in popularity once again thanks to its excellent dry rot resistance. CARLINGFORD Carlingford seed potatoes are an excellent salad-type, second early variety which produce a high number of round-to-oval shaped tubers. Carlingford potatoes have white skin and creamycoloured flesh with a firm, waxy texture for salad use. Disease resistance is good for common scab, skin spot and potato virus Y resistance. Carlingford can also be used as a second cropping variety and planted in early August for harvesting near Christmas. CATRIONA Catriona seed potatoes grow long, bold tubers. Catriona potatoes have a splash of purple/blue around the eyes. Floury tasting, dry and mealy, with a yellow flesh. Ideal for boiling, baking and chipping. 7
S E C O N D E A R L I E S DIVAA Divaa seed potatoes produce good yields of very bright tubers with very white skin and flesh. It is bred from Innovator and is very similar in performance, except for its amazing skin brightness. Good for boiling, baking or mashing, and makes excellent French fries with flavour. ESTIMA Estima seed potatoes are commonly the baking potato of choice sold in most supermarkets, and produce heavy crops of large oval tubers with light yellow skin and flesh. Estima potatoes show good resistance to growth cracks and secondary growth, and are one of the most popular potato varieties in the UK. GEMSON Known for their very high yields of small, round and oval tubers, Gemson seed potatoes are quickly becoming a firm favourite. Bred from the much-loved Maris Peer, tubers have smooth, white skin and firm, creamy flesh perfect for steaming and boiling. A lovely salad potato with excellent disease resistance. 8 KESTREL Kestrel seed potatoes have to be one of the best overall varieties in living memory. Bred by the great man himself, Jack Dunnett, this potato has taken the exhibition scene by storm because of its consistent size and colour. Without doubt one of the best-tasting potato varieties available, with excellent cooking uses and disease resistance. If in any doubt at all, Kestrel are the potatoes that you should always be growing in your garden.
S E C O N D E A R L I E S MARFONA Marfona seed potatoes are a high-yielding, second early variety which produce consistently large crops of waxy textured potatoes perfect for baking with, whilst also good for boiling and chipping. Marfona tubers are oval shaped, with light yellow skins and cream-coloured flesh. MARIS PEER Maris Peer seed potatoes produce one of the most magnificent-looking haulms ever seen. The flowers on the foliage are even scented, which makes them unusual. Maris Peer tubers are oval shaped with white skins and a firm, creamy-coloured flesh. Disease-wise they have good resistance to all skin diseases. Maris Peer are particlarly well suited for second cropping and harvesting at Christmas time. NADINE Nadine seed potatoes are one of the most successful varieties introduced around 1987 by famous potato breeder, Jack Dunnett. Nadine tubers are round in shape, with a clean, white skin and cream-coloured flesh. A high-yielding variety, Nadine produces many tubers at the root and are a popular showbench variety. Nadine potatoes tend to be very popular in supermarkets. SAXON Saxon seed potatoes are a modern-day, second early variety that produce large crops of long, oval-shaped, white-skinned tubers. The flesh of Saxon potatoes is firm and yellow in colour; ideal for all kitchen uses. Saxon is widely regarded to be amongst the very best tasting of all modern potato varieties. 9
S E C O N D E A R L I E S SPUNTA Spunta seed potatoes produce a smooth, creamy-yellow skin and fresh, long tubers. It s a very high-yielding variety, and has a high dry matter. Perfect for salads. WILJA Wilja seed potatoes were one of the first Dutch-bred varieties to change the rule book about second earlies. Wilja allowed large consistent crops of light-yellow skinned tubers to be produced in a shorter time period. The flesh of Wilja potatoes is yellow and firm, being inbetween waxy and floury. First Earlies Second Earlies Maincrop First early potatoes mature in 60 110 days. Planted towards the end of March, they are ready for lifting from late June or early July. Potatoes can be planted from mid- March onwards as a rough guide dependent on weather. Second early potatoes mature in 110 120 days. Planted mid- to late April, they will be ready for harvesting from early to mid-august. Potatoes can be planted from mid- March onwards as a rough guide dependent on weather. Compared to maincrop potatoes, first and second earlies are lower yielding, usually have smaller tubers, need less space and escape some of the diseases, such as blight. First and second earlies are generally eaten as soon as harvested enjoyed as new potatoes while maincrop cultivars can either be used fresh from the ground or stored for winter use in net bags. Maincrop potatoes mature in 125 140 days and if planted in late April can be harvested by mid- August, and this can be continued through to October. Potatoes can be planted from mid-march onwards as a rough guide dependent on weather. Maincrop potatoes are higher yielding than first and second earlies, and usually have larger tubers. Maincrop cultivars can either be used fresh from the ground or stored for winter use. 10
S A L A D CHARLOTTE Charlotte seed potatoes are a classic salad potato, justifiably very popular with pear-shaped, yellow-skinned, small potatoes with a gorgeous flavour and a lovely waxy texture which are excellent hot or cold in salads and roasting. Chitting encourages strong shoots which speeds up the growth once in the ground. INTERNATIONAL KIDNEY This supreme early salad variety has a wonderfully distinct flavour and texture. International Kidney seed potatoes produce high yields of oval, smooth-skinned, yellow-fleshed tubers that are perfect for boiling and using in salads or side-dishes. Plant out from late March, harvest from the end of June. MARKIES A recently-introduced variety that is high yielding and has excellent all-round resistance to disease, particularly potato viruses. High tolerance to drought stress. A good all-rounder, suitable for baking, boiling, roasting and adding to salads. But it s as a chipping potato that it excels and is considered by some to be even better than Maris Piper. NICOLA Nicola seed potatoes are a relatively new Dutch variety producing a bumper crop of oval potatoes with smooth skins and a firm, slightly-waxy texture and a mouthwatering buttery flavour. They are a very versatile potato, perfect for boiling, mashing, baking and adding to salads. 11
S A L A D PINK FIR APPLE Pink Fir Apple seed potatoes are a long and knobblyshaped heritage potato variety. Due to their unique shape, Pink Fir Apple tubers are best eaten either with their skins on, or served as delicious individual chunky chips. Even when they have been stored, Pink Fir Apple potatoes retain a new potato taste well into the new year. M A I N C R O P AMOUR Amour seed potatoes are now back on the market thanks to the use of mini-tuber technology. It is the belief of many that Amour is the ultimate showbench potato variety. The outstanding uniformity of size and colour, coupled with great, all-round disease resistance, make Amour potatoes a constant competition winner. BLUE BELLE Blue Belle seed potatoes look to be full of promise for the keen exhibition grower. Blue Belle tubers are full of strong colour in the eyes and are a real challenger to Kestrel as a showbench potato. Very high resistance to both splitting and potato virus Y. 12
M A I N C R O P CARA Cara seed potatoes are still one of the most popular maincrop varieties due to their excellent resistance to blight. Cara tubers are round, with white skin and pink eyes. They are a very robust variety and have excellent drought resistance as well as good, all-round disease resistance. DESIREE Desiree seed potatoes produce oval, red-skinned tubers with pale yellow flesh. Medium dry matter, firm cooked texture, good boiling, fresh French fry and mashing quality. Desiree potatoes are a popular choice amongst many celebrity chefs, including Delia Smith and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, due to their potential to make fantastic roast potatoes. Desiree is a heavy cropper and early bulking with high resistance to drought and good resistance to potato virus Y and powdery scab. Susceptible to potato cyst nematode and mis-shapes on heavy soils. Moderately susceptible to spraing and mild mosaic viruses. GOLDEN WONDER Golden Wonder seed potatoes produce long, ovalshaped tubers with a russet skin. Their flesh is white and floury which, when boiled, can be very dry and mealy much to the delight of many. Golden Wonder are a late maturing maincrop and should be planted as early as possible to produce a large yielding crop. They have great resistance to common scab. HARMONY Harmony seed potatoes are a very popular export variety as they produce large crops of clean, white-skinned tubers that are very resistant to scab. Harmony is a very good baking potato. Most people will know of Harmony potatoes because of their regular success on the showbench as an exhibition variety. Indeed, their shallow eyes and a smooth skin make Harmony a very pretty-looking potato. 13
M A I N C R O P KERRS PINK Kerrs Pink seed potatoes are a very popular variety both in Scotland and Ireland, due to their dry and floury nature. Kerrs Pink tubers are normally short and oval with slightly-deep eyes, and are best eaten when simply boiled in their beautiful, pink skins. They have good blight resistance and long-term storage ability. KING EDWARD King Edward seed potatoes are probably the most famous potato variety on the market, and for a good reason they have both excellent cooking and taste qualities. Once cooked, King Edward potatoes rarely discolour and offer a broad range of uses Often copied but never beaten, it s not hard to see why King Edward potatoes have been around for a century a great, solid, all-round potato for home growers to enjoy. MAJESTIC Long oval, white-skinned and white-fleshed tubers with a soft, floury texture. An old favourite with good-keeping qualities. Can discolour after cooking. MARIS PIPER Maris Piper seed potatoes produce the undisputed number one potato of choice for almost all local chip shops. It is the combination of its excellent cooking and frying qualities that make the Maris Piper potato stand out from the rest, and today it is still grown on a large commercial scale. Maris Piper tubers are oval shaped with white skins and cream-coloured flesh. They are also a good option for long-term storage. 14
M A I N C R O P MAXINE Maxine seed potatoes produce beautiful round tubers with red skins and waxy, white flesh. Maxine potatoes are a heavy-cropping maincrop variety, and a good all-round cooker, thus making them one of the better potatoes on the market today. Their smooth skins and shallow eyes have also caught the eye of several exhibition growers. MAYAN GOLD Long, oval, golden-coloured tubers with a nutty flavour make Mayan Gold seed potatoes a favourite gourmet potato with chefs. Exceptional variety for chips and roasting, can be boiled, but is better if steamed due to their delicate flesh. MOZART Mozart seed potatoes are a new red variety with a yellow flesh and are a classic all rounder, suitable for all types of cooking, particularly mashing, chipping, baking or roasting. Mozart only requires low levels of fertilizer input. ORLA Orla seed potatoes are a very popular variety for the organic grower due to their high blight resistance. They can be grown as a first early or instead left to mature as an early maincrop. Orla seed potatoes are one of the better-tasting potato varieties available, and produce large crops of bold, white tubers. 15
M A I N C R O P PENTLAND CROWN Pentland Crown seed potatoes produce large numbers of bold white tubers that have a floury texture of flesh. Ideal for boiling, baking, roasting and chipping. Resistance to scab and potato virus Y. PENTLAND DELL Pentland Dell seed potatoes were the second variety to be produced from the Pentland field station. Pentland Dell produces large, oval-shaped tubers with white skins and creamy-coloured flesh. Pentland Dell is grown on a large scale for processors who find it a most useful potato, helped in no small part due to its good resistance to all diseases and slugs. PICASSO Picasso seed potatoes produce tubers which are roundto-oval in shape, with smooth white skins and pink eyes. Picasso is now a popular variety for allotment growers due to its high-disease resistance. With Cara as one of its parents, Picasso has a great range of uses in the kitchen. A huge yielder and good storing variety. PINK GYPSY Pink Gypsy seed potatoes are an early main crop with good resistance to bruising and splitting, powdery scab, common scab, skin spot and dry rot. With their attractive white and pink skins, they clean really easily and, once cooked, have a delightful fluffy texture. Great for baking, roasting and mashing. 16
M A I N C R O P SARPO MIRA Sarpo Mira seed potatoes are the most blight-resistant potato variety available in the UK. Sarpo Mira tubers have a dry, floury texture which are best suited to roasting and chipping. They can also be used as a baking potato. They seem to be free of any slug damage, and only show small signs of common scab on the skin. SETANTA Setanta seed potatoes are one of the most blightresistant potato varieties available in the UK, making them a great variety for the allotment grower. Setanta tubers have reasonably smooth, red skins with yellow flesh, are oval in shape and have shallow eyes. Add excellent scab resistance, combine it with great taste and you ve got all the makings of an excellent all-round potato to grow at home. STEMSTER An oval-long to oval-shaped variety with pink-red skin and pale yellow flesh. Stemster is a high-yielding variety that makes an excellent baking potato and is also a really good, general-purpose type that boils well. Good resistance to potato cyst nematode (golden eelworm). VALES SOVEREIGN Vales Sovereign seed potatoes are dual coloured, and have good resistance to scab, blackleg and blight. Tests show it needs less water and fertilizer than other potatoes. Great for mash, roasts and wedges. Harvest between mid August and mid October. 17
M A I N C R O P VALOR Valor seed potatoes show great levels of blight resistance matched with the ability to produce large crops of bold white tubers. Bred by Jack Dunnett, Valor has a high tolerance to heat and drought, whilst their flesh is cream coloured and of a floury texture. A L B E R T B A R T L E T T E X C L U S I V E S Albert Bartlett started his family business in 1948 when he set up a beetroot boiling operation in Coatbridge, Scotland. Nine years later, Albert s experience and passion in produce allowed him to expand the business. Along with his two sons, Jimmy and Alex, they moved their business to Airdrie. Today, Albert Bartlett & Sons (Airdrie) Limited supply potatoes, from their grower and production network, across England, Ireland, Scotland and Jersey. In 2012, they started operating in France and the USA. APACHE A second early with a very striking appearance. Scrubbed and cooked whole, Apache makes a delicious change from other roasts. The contrasting colours stay bright if blanched before roasting. 18
A L B E R T B A R T L E T T E X C L U S I V E S ELFE Elfe is a distinctive, yellow potato with a smooth, buttery taste. A new variety, Elfe tastes great boiled or baked, and makes perfect mash. PURPLE MAJESTY Purple Majesty seed potatoes produce tubers of the richest purple purple skin and purple flesh jampacked with nutrients and antioxidants. It makes a fantastic member of the superfood family along with blueberries, pomegranates and kale. With its genetic origins in the Andes, it s been specially selected for the food market and has enjoyed great success. It s an early maincrop variety suitable for salads, and of course as jackets, which prove a real hit with children fascinated by its dark purple flesh. ROOSTER Rooster potatoes have a deep red skin and shallow eyes. The flesh has a lovely smooth texture and it tastes as good as it looks. TV campaigns have helped make Rooster an extremely popular maincrop. A unique all rounder and award winner. VIVALDI A very versatile second early, with a unique texture. Vivaldi seed potatoes have a sweet taste, making them an ideal baked potato without any added butter! A healthy choice, Vivaldi is perfect for mashing, steaming or baking. An award winner. 19
A L B E R T B A R T L E T T E X C L U S I V E S JAZZY Boiled, steamed, crushed or roasted, Jazzy seed potatoes are packed full of flavour and give great results every time. Jazzy could be considered the perfect variety for growing in bags or containers on the patio, producing lots of delicious small potatoes. O N I O N S, S H A L L O T S & G A R L I C ALPHA (ONION) Reliable, well-known, standard variety which needs good early soil. Alpha is the tried and tested variety which, even after nearly 20 years, continues to improve with ongoing selection, and is again increasing in popularity. Needs some heat treatment, but can be planted January onwards. Stores really well for such an early variety, and the area being grown in the UK has increased recently. CENTURION (ONION) A development of Sturon, Centurion onion sets produce straw-yellow, semi-round bulbs. Good crisp flesh, heavy crops and an excellent winter storer. 20
O N I O N S, S H A L L O T S & G A R L I C ORION (ONION) An excellent variety, producing high-quality bulbs. Keeps extremely well in storage. Straw yellow. Good crisp flesh. RED BARON (ONION) Red Baron onion sets produce extra large bulbs with shiny, dark red skins by sowing early under glass. Red Baron is known as a long-storing onion, with a strong flavour. RUMBA (ONION) Rumba onion sets are a top performing main crop variety that are ideally suited to growing in the UK. It produces high yields of large, uniform, round onions with a sweet flavour, making it ideal for eating raw in salads as well as cooking. Good thick skin and quality flesh makes this a good variety for long-term storing. SNOWBALL (ONION) A superb white variety, excellent for culinary use with a full mild flavour. Sweeter and tangier taste than most onions. High yielding, and stores well. 21
O N I O N S, S H A L L O T S & G A R L I C STURON (ONION) A very nice, round, golden-yellow onion with good storage characteristics. A traditional and reliable favourite, producing good-sized, semi-round bulbs with good-keeping qualities. STUTTGARTER (ONION) A firm favourite, Stuttgarter onion sets produce characteristically flat-shaped, yellow-skinned onions, with good yields and storing qualities. Plant the onion sets from mid-march to mid-april, 15 cm (6 ) apart in rows 30 cm (12 ) apart. Lift the onions when they are mature and allow them to dry before using. TURBO (ONION) A modern variety producing globe-shaped onions which keep well. Matures later than most onions, with an excellent strong flavour. Turbo is a heavy-cropping variety and is excellent for keeping. ARISTA (SHALLOT) A semi-long variety with a sweet flavour and firm, reddish-coloured flesh. A good culinary shallot which is great for casseroles and stews. Bred to withstand harsh weather in northern Europe. [Also known as the English Banana Shallot.] 22
O N I O N S, S H A L L O T S & G A R L I C GOLDEN GOURMET (SHALLOT) An RHS award winner, Golden Gourmet produces larger and superior quality bulbs than traditional giant yellow varieties. The brown-skinned bulbs are great for cooking, and they store well over the winter months. RED SUN (SHALLOT) One of the best red-skinned varieties, Red Sun produces bumper crops of crisp, white-fleshed bulbs with a really good flavour for cooking, salads or pickling. Good storage variety. PIKANT (SHALLOT) Probably the earliest of all shallots, this Dutch red variety produces a heavy crop of smaller bulbs that have an intense, almost spicy, flavour. It is not unusual for this variety to be ready for harvesting in July yet often it will keep firm and well until the following May. Has excellent resistance to bolting. YELLOW MOON (SHALLOT) Yellow Moon is early maturing, and produces round shallots with an attractive yellow colour. It has slow sensitivity to bolting and produces a very healthy, uniform crop with excellent skin quality. 23
O N I O N S, S H A L L O T S & G A R L I C VIGOUR (GARLIC) A late, white, soft-necked variety. [A French variety and therefore also known as Vigor Supreme.] Strongflavoured, with good-keeping quality. Harvest June July. GERMIDOUR (GARLIC) This French, soft-necked variety is well adapted to British conditions. It produces large, white bulbs with violetstreaked skins, with a mild, but still rich, flavour. Easily stored. ELEPHANT (GARLIC) Elephant garlic can grow to 150 mm (6") across and weigh over a kilogram (2¼ lb). It is not a true garlic but a stem leek. It has a sweeter and milder taste than conventional garlic, making it suitable for a wide choice of culinary uses, especially roasting. 24