What is your favourite new potato variety?

[bario1]

I love 'exquisa' that Tesco sell - never seen any seeds for sale though. Has anyone tried growing them from shop-bought spuds?

I have some of these chitting now. I'm going to grow them in barrels just in case they're carrying some disease. Should I grow them apart from my other 'supplier' bought varieties? Can disease spread from one plant to another through the air?

[vegnut]

I personally enjoy Arran Pilot for a good waxy tasty First Early spud, followed very very closely by Lady Christl.

[penny]

I agree arran pilot is first for taste.

[greenishfing]

My favourites are Foremost (in my heavy clay soil.) They taste great and there has always been a decent crop at 10 weeks. I tried International kidney 2 years ago but the yield was very disappointing.

[carolineholding]

I love salad potatoes with a nutty flavour, so I would have to say Anya which is a cross between Desiree and Pink Firr Apple -a main crop which is famously susceptible to blight. Anya was bred for Sainsburys and named after Lady Sainsburys apparently. Because its a second early it's more likely to make it to harvest before blight, so some of the nuttyness with less of the blight hopefully.

Sadly I haven't seen this variety in France. This year instead I'm growing Belle de Fontany which I've never tried before. So if you ask me again next year I might have changed my mind

[RedRuth]

We always grow Charlotte on the allotment but I'm trying out a special offer from T and M that includes Rocket and Maris Peer in patio bags at my daughters house this year. I'm hoping an early start in the conservatory will mean we're eating them mid May.

[LincolnshireFloyd]

It seems that everybody has their own favourite new potato. From my point of view when they are straight out of the ground there's hardly any difference between any of them, they are all good.
However when you come to second earlies that have been stored a few weeks then the flavour does seem to make a difference and as nobody has mentioned the variety called Vivaldi then I have to give that one a shout. The shape of a potato is important for me because I have to peel 'em and finding good flavoured ones with a good rounded shape so that you don't waste a lot in the peeling takes some finding.
I've grown various varieties over the years and Vivaldi comes out top for flavour for me. It's also a nice oval shape and easy to peel though it has a nice clean skin and will just scrub up well for baking. For once I think Thompson and Morgan do not exaggerate in their enthusiasm for this spud. It has become my first choice on the spud shopping list.
However another one I grow is Marfona, again not mentioned on this thread and deserves a nod. Good shape too and slightly bigger than Vivaldi. What I do avoid is Mayan Gold (sausage shaped) as it tends to break up into mush quickly though good when roasted. It also sprouts like heck in the sack and won't keep as long as some others. Won't touch any of the main crop Sarpo varieties again, tasteless and misshapen waste of time.
Each to their own.

[grahamthegurugardener]

So I'm told, the potato farmers on Jersey used to scatter sea-weed on the potato fields but were stopped doing so by the EU because it wasn't a listed fertiliser. Bloody stupid I know but aren't most EU rules??? Apparently this is why Jersey Royals have lost their distinctive delicious flavour.
So, here's an idea for experimentation:- what about growing some International Kidney (Jersey Royal) and treating the soil with Seaweed Extract (available from Wilkos, I believe). Will be trying it out myself next season and will keep you posted.