Gardeners and allotment owners from across Scotland turned out in their hundreds to buy heritage potatoes and local produce at Strathmore Tattie Day in Coupar Angus.
Perthshire’s second annual celebration of potatoes, which is supported by The Courier, captured the interest in local food and attracted an estimated 500 people who pored over 57 varieties of organic, unusual or difficult-to-source tatties supplied by grower and exporter, Andrew Skea.
Farmers from the area also sold lamb, eggs and vegetables, and Neighbour Food, the online food promotion service based in Blairgowrie, used the event as a shop window for its growing membership.
Event organiser Amandla Taylor from Coupar Angus Market Garden said people were queueing in the sleet and snow more than an hour before the doors were scheduled to open.
“We let them in early because the weather was terrible, but it just illustrates the enthusiasm for tatties,” she said.
“Dundee Allotment Association and other local growers were there in force, but we also had calls about the event from across Scotland and people turned up from Aberdeenshire, Airdrie, Glasgow and all over.
“We also had to turn away dozens of stallholders because we didn’t have enough room.”
Mr Skea said he had sold four times as many potatoes as he did at last year’s inaugural event and spent the entire four hours fielding questions from enthusiasts.
“It was fantastic to see so many people interested in local produce, and a tremendous success,” he said.
“People were keen to talk about the attributes of different varieties and had questions about agronomy and problems they might have growing tatties successfully.”
Susan Duncan, the business manager of Neighbour Food, brought along eight stallholders from the organisation, which was launched in June last year.
“We have 17 producers online, selling produce to local people and helping farmers find new outlets for lamb, fruit and vegetables,” she said.
“It gives them an alternative to supermarkets, reduces food miles and keeps money in the local economy.
“An event like this is a great way of connecting with the community and getting the message across.”
As well as the opportunity to buy seed potatoes which aren’t regularly on sale, growers packed into a talk on permaculture by Graham Bell, chairman of Permaculture Scotland.
Children built scarecrows and potato enthusiast John Marshall, who runs “Tattie Talks” at schools on behalf of the Royal Highland Education Trust, entertained younger visitors with his model potato farm, complete with tattie grader, store and small-scale tools.
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
