We grow both processing potatoes and table potatoes. We write a lot about the Innovator for fries, because it is our strong point, but alongside it we keep a range of table varieties for the fresh market: Twister, Bella Rosa, Joline and Gala. In this post we explain how they differ, what they suit and how we prepare them for the wholesale customer.
Table or fry, what is the difference
We split potatoes roughly into two directions. Fry varieties, like Innovator and Donata, go to processing: they have a large, elongated tuber and the parameters for making fries, which we cover in our post on potatoes for fries. Table varieties go to the fresh market, to retail and to the kitchen. Here what counts is taste, the colour of the skin and flesh, uniform tubers and the culinary type, that is whether a potato works better in a salad, for boiling or as an all-rounder.
Our table varieties
We most often base our table crop on four varieties. Each has a slightly different character, which lets us match the produce to different customer expectations.
| Variety | Skin and flesh | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Twister | yellow skin, yellow flesh | early, high-yielding, all-round in the kitchen |
| Bella Rosa | red skin, pale yellow flesh | early, large uniform tubers, shallow eyes |
| Joline | yellow skin, yellow flesh | early, good for many uses |
| Gala | yellow skin, yellow flesh | salad-to-all-round type, prized for taste |
These are varieties well known on the Polish market, reached for by packhouses and retail alike. Bella Rosa, with its red skin and shallow eyes, looks good and leaves little waste when peeled, while Gala is prized for its taste and firm flesh. Twister and Joline are early, high-yielding varieties that do well in the field on our soils.
Choosing a table variety is always a compromise between yield, the look of the tuber and its intended use. That is why we keep several varieties at once and match the produce to the specific customer, instead of promising one variety for everything.
Why table potatoes from Żuławy
Our table potatoes grow on the fertile Żuławy silt soils, the same ones where we grow onions. These are heavy, humus-rich soils comparable in their parameters to the polders in the Netherlands, and they give uniform, well-grown tubers. Potatoes are part of our large vegetable acreage, alongside onions, beetroot and peas. Growing in rotation rather than monoculture is, for us, the foundation of healthy soil and a healthy crop.
On top of that comes how we run the farm: we produce with technology that leaves no pesticide residues, in line with the principles of Integrated Plant Production. We test every batch for pesticide residues, heavy metals and substances hazardous to health. For a buyer of table potatoes, which go straight onto the plate, that is a concrete argument.
How we sort and pack table potatoes
The fresh market is demanding on looks, so sorting carries the same weight with us as growing. The potatoes pass through the DOWNS CropVision optical sorter, which uses cameras and AI to scan each tuber in 360 degrees and rejects stones, clods of soil and defective ones, at up to 100 tonnes per hour. The same sorter handles our onions and beetroot too, and how it works we describe in our post on the optical sorter.
After sorting we grade and pack the potatoes to the customer's needs.
| Delivery format | Who for |
|---|---|
| Loose | large packhouses, wholesale trade |
| Big bag | bulk transport |
| Sacks of 15 kg, 10 kg and smaller | distribution and retail |
Constant quality control means we select every batch for firmness, colour and uniformity. You will also find our table potatoes in our potato offer, alongside the Innovator for fries.
Who our table potatoes are for
We supply table potatoes wholesale: to packhouses and trading companies that supply shops and chains. The work starts with a conversation about which variety, which caliber and which packaging format are needed. If you are also looking for a potato for processing, we have the Innovator for fries, whose contract growing we describe in our post on contract potato growing for processing.
On request we send a free sample, so the customer can assess the produce before deciding. We calculate the price based on current market rates and the parameters of the order.
Frequently asked questions about table potato varieties
Which table potato varieties do you grow?
Twister, Bella Rosa, Joline and Gala. Alongside them we have the fry varieties Innovator and Donata, but those go to processing, not to the fresh market.
How does a table potato differ from a fry potato?
A table potato goes to the fresh market and the kitchen, where taste, looks and the culinary type count. A fry potato, like Innovator, has the parameters for making fries and goes to processing.
Which variety has red skin?
Bella Rosa. It is an early variety with red skin and pale yellow flesh, with large, uniform tubers and shallow eyes.
In what format do you deliver table potatoes?
Loose, in big bags and in sacks of 15 kg, 10 kg and smaller. We match the format and caliber to the customer.
Can I get a sample?
Yes, on request we send a free sample. Just write or call through our contact page.
Are the potatoes sorted?
Yes. Every batch passes through the DOWNS CropVision optical sorter, which rejects stones, clods of soil and defective ones, and we additionally grade the potatoes to the customer's needs.
Looking for table potatoes of consistent quality, straight from the farm? Write to us through our contact page and we will match the variety, caliber and delivery format.
