Speciality Potatoes
Speciality Potatoes
The potato is the most taken-for-granted ingredient in the kitchen, which makes it one of the most rewarding to buy well. Variety matters more than most cooks realise — the difference between the right potato for a dish and the wrong one is not subtle, and the difference between a heritage variety grown for flavour and a commodity potato grown for yield is greater still.
We stock six varieties across an extended season, each selected for eating quality, provenance and culinary character — from the AOC-protected Ratte du Touquet to the brief, eagerly anticipated window of the Jersey Royal.
Our Producers
Touquet Savour are specialists in La Ratte du Touquet from the Côte d'Opale in northern France. The Ratte holds AOC status — the same designation applied to French wines and cheeses — defining the growing area, production methods, and quality standards the variety must meet. It is one of the few potatoes in the world to carry this level of protection, because the terroir genuinely affects the result on the plate.
La Noirmoutier grows on the Atlantic island of the same name off the Vendée coast. The combination of sandy, salt-rich soil and a mild maritime climate produces a potato with a flavour and texture that has made Noirmoutier one of the most sought-after varieties in French gastronomy.
Délicatesse is a French grower based in the Drôme département, cultivating the Linzer Delikatess variety for fifteen years — a small early potato with a character unlike most others in the market.
Waxy vs. Floury
Understanding the difference between waxy and floury potatoes is the foundation of cooking them well. Waxy potatoes have a lower starch content and higher moisture — they hold their shape during cooking, making them the right choice for boiling, steaming, salads and gratins. Floury potatoes are higher in starch and lower in moisture — they break down during cooking, which is what makes them ideal for mash, roasting and chips.
Every variety in this collection sits somewhere on that spectrum, and knowing where determines how to cook it.
The Varieties
Ratte du Touquet
A small, elongated fingerling with a smooth, thin skin and a dense, waxy flesh. Distinctively nutty — often described as chestnut-like — with a richness that sets it apart from most other waxy varieties. AOC-protected, grown exclusively in the Touquet area of northern France, and available year-round. Excellent boiled simply with butter and salt, in a warm salad, or alongside fish or roast meat.
Amandine
A French waxy variety from Brittany. Almond-shaped, smooth yellow skin, firm and buttery flesh — a reliable all-rounder for boiling and steaming. Clean, mild flavour, making it a good foil for stronger flavours: anchovies, capers, mustard vinaigrette. A staple of French home cooking.
Season: October to May.
Noirmoutier
One of the most celebrated potatoes in France, grown on the Atlantic island of Noirmoutier. Sandy, salt-enriched soil and a mild maritime climate produce a potato with a paper-thin skin, a tender waxy texture, and a faint but unmistakable salinity in the flesh. Best cooked simply — boiled or steamed, dressed with good butter — to let the flavour speak.
Season: May to August.
Linzer Delikatess
A heritage fingerling cultivated by Délicatesse in the Drôme. Small, elongated and waxy, with pale yellow skin and a delicate, nutty flavour — one of the more unusual varieties in the collection and a favourite among chefs who know it. Excellent warm or cold, simply dressed.
Season: May to August.
Jersey Royals
The most famous new potato in the British kitchen, grown exclusively on the island of Jersey and protected by PDO status — the only potato in the UK to carry this designation. Jersey's mild climate, the vraic seaweed traditionally used to fertilise the soil, and the steep côtils on which the best crops are grown produce a potato unlike anything grown on the mainland. The Grade Mids we stock are the workhorse size, small enough to cook whole and flavourful enough to need nothing beyond butter and sea salt.
Season: short spring window, varying year to year. Do not overcook them.
Vitelotte
A heritage French variety with deep purple-blue skin and flesh, grown since the early nineteenth century and still rare outside specialist growers. The colour comes from anthocyanins — the same pigments found in red cabbage and blueberries — and holds well during cooking if the potatoes are not overboiled. Earthy and slightly nutty, with a firm waxy texture. Adds visual drama to a plate and works particularly well in salads, as a side, or sliced and roasted.
Season: March to October.
How To Cook
The cardinal rule with good potatoes is restraint. The more complex the variety — Noirmoutier, Jersey Royal, Ratte — the less you should do to it.
Boiling
Start waxy potatoes in cold salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer until just tender — a knife should pass through with light resistance, not collapse. Small varieties (Jersey Royals, Linzer Delikatess) take 12 to 15 minutes; larger Amandine or Ratte, 18 to 22 minutes. Do not overcook — a waxy potato gone too far becomes waterlogged and loses its texture. Drain and rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving; the starch settles back together and the texture firms up noticeably.
Steaming
Preferable to boiling for the more delicate varieties — Noirmoutier in particular benefits from steaming, which preserves both flavour and the paper-thin skin. Steam over simmering salted water for approximately the same time as boiling.
Roasting
Waxy varieties roast differently from floury ones — they won't achieve the same fluffy interior, but they develop a golden, slightly crisp exterior and a dense, flavourful centre. Halve, toss in olive oil or duck fat, season well, and roast at 200°C for 35 to 45 minutes. Vitelotte roasts particularly well and holds its colour reasonably during the process.
Warm Salads
The Ratte, Amandine and Linzer Delikatess are all excellent warm, dressed immediately after cooking while still hot. A simple dressing of good olive oil, Dijon mustard, shallot and white wine vinegar is the classic approach. Add cornichons, capers or anchovy to taste.
Pairings & Recipe Ideas
Ratte du Touquet with brown butter, capers and a squeeze of lemon alongside grilled sole or turbot is a combination that requires almost no effort and produces something genuinely elegant. Jersey Royals with cold butter and flaky sea salt, eaten the day they arrive, need nothing else. Noirmoutier alongside roast chicken with tarragon is a French classic for good reason.
Vitelotte makes a visually striking cold salad with crème fraîche, chives and smoked salmon — the contrast between the deep purple potato and the pale pink fish is as good to look at as it is to eat. Linzer Delikatess works well alongside simply prepared white fish or as part of a composed salad with soft-boiled egg and green beans.
For something more indulgent, a Ratte gratin — sliced thinly, layered with cream and a little garlic, baked slowly — produces one of the best versions of gratin dauphinois possible, owing to the variety's natural nuttiness and waxy texture.
Storage
Store in a cool, dark place with good air circulation — a cellar, garage, or cool larder. Avoid the refrigerator for most varieties: cold temperatures convert potato starch to sugar, which alters the flavour and causes problems if you intend to roast or fry.
The exception is new potatoes — Jersey Royals, Noirmoutier, and Linzer Delikatess are best kept in the fridge and used within a few days of delivery, as their thin skins and high moisture content make them more perishable than storage varieties.
Keep potatoes away from light, which triggers greening and the development of solanine — a mildly toxic compound that gives affected areas a bitter taste. Cut away any green patches generously before cooking. Do not store potatoes near onions — both release gases that accelerate deterioration in the other.
Shelf Life
Ratte du Touquet — up to 2 weeks in a cool dark place. Amandine — 1 to 2 weeks. Noirmoutier, Linzer Delikatess and Jersey Royals — use within 3 to 4 days of delivery, refrigerated. Vitelotte — up to 2 weeks in a cool dark place.
Seasonality
The six varieties span most of the calendar year between them. Ratte du Touquet is available year-round. Amandine runs October to May. Noirmoutier and Linzer Delikatess share a May to August window — the two finest summer potatoes in the collection. Jersey Royals are a short spring variety. Vitelotte runs March to October.
Between them, there is a premium potato available in every month of the year. The specific varieties change with the season; the standard does not.
Sourcing
Several varieties carry formal quality designations that go beyond flavour. The Ratte du Touquet holds AOC status — a protected designation governing where the variety can be grown, how it must be produced, and the standards it must meet. Jersey Royals carry PDO protection under UK law, with equally strict geographical and production requirements. These designations exist because place genuinely affects quality, and they provide a level of traceability and accountability that commodity supply chains rarely offer.
Beyond formal certification, our producers — Touquet Savour, La Noirmoutier and Délicatesse — are specialists in their respective varieties rather than volume producers. Specialist growers have a vested interest in maintaining the character and reputation of the varieties they grow, which tends to produce better farming decisions over the long term.
Our sourcing is seasonal where the variety demands it. We do not extend windows artificially or substitute with inferior supply when a season ends.
Delivery
UK next-working-day delivery on orders placed before 2pm. Complimentary weekday delivery on orders over £225.
