Potatoes on show at Newport college

More than 100 different varieties of potatoes – including one created in the county – will be available to buy at Shropshire Potato Day.

The second annual show, regarded as the biggest potato seed event in the West Midlands, will be held at Harper Adams University in Edgmond, near Newport, on February 16. About 2,500 people are expected to attend.

There will be about 130 varieties of potatoes for sale, including a wide selection of organic spuds.

Potatoes on offer will include the Red Robin, which has been created by Telford-based firm Jalving Potatoes, which has been breeding potatoes for more than 30 years and is organising the event.

But the event is not only for the potato connoisseur – there will also be more than 30 varieties of peas, beans, onions and shallots.

Organiser Gerrol Jalving, a director at Jalving Potatoes, said: "We are organising this event to help promote the potato and to give growers a real choice rather than that is provided by catalogues and garden centres.

"Together with our Dutch parent firm, we have been actively breeding potatoes for the last 30 plus years.

"We are very excited in a new variety exclusively available to us, which is Carolus.

"Carolus is a fully blight resistant variety with a beautiful bi-colour skin and a great taste.

"Stocks are very limited to first come first serve.

He added: "Blight resistance is very important as this is the main cause of potato losses.

"Spraying is the only effective treatment to prevent this from happening, apart from natural immunity, which Carolus has, both plant and tuber."

There will be talks by potato expert Alan Wilson.

Entrance to the event, which will run from 10am to 3pm, will be £1 for adults and free of charge for visitors aged under 16.

Mr Jalving added: "We hope to grow this event over the next few years and make it just as successful as the one in Whitchurch, Hampshire, which we have been a part of for the last seven years.

"This event draws 2,500 people over a weekend."