Today’s Jersey Royal Production

Seed Regeneration

A “Nuclear Stock” of Jersey Royals is carefully maintained by SASA in Scotland. 

From this stock, the seed bank is topped up every year ensuring no one’s seed is older than 3 years.

Seed Grading and Management

Seed is lifted from late June, through July.  It is placed loose in boxes

and left until mid October when it is graded and “stood”.

Chitting Lights control the shoots until ready for planting.

Planting “Cotils”

Cotils are planted from which our first crops can be lifted.

Prior to planting, the seed is sprayed in the chitting trays with Bio Algeen S92. Bio Algeen S92 is a highly developed liquid seaweed product that significantly contributes to yield, soil health and the improved texture and flavour of our Royals.

After planting the “Cotils” are covered with polythene.

Planting The First Fields

The first fields to be planted are typically nearer the coast before moving inland.

Bio Algeen is now sprayed over the seed in the furrows at planting using spraying equipment mounted on the closing rig.

Polythene Mulch

A proportion of our crop is covered with polythene.

Between The Planting and Digging

Remove polythene where necessary and rework the ridges.

Irrigation

Digging

We gently lift our Royals with our unique picking system which maintains their delicate skins. Lifting firstly in the “Cotils”.

Our Royals continue to be lifted with the same system through to early July from the flat fields.

The seed crop is lifted in June and throughout July with conventional harvesters.

The “Cotils” are dug using a plough pulled by a winch.

All other fields are lifted with a side delivery and picked by hand using our unique system of picking into pots.

The pots are taken to our mobile packing unit in the field.

Packing

The potatoes within the pots are transferred into the bags.

Trays of filled and weighed bags await final inspection and sealing.

Despatch

Bags are sealed, information printed and prepared for despatch.

Thus,
by looking after the land and looking after the crop, we can ensure the best Jersey Royals possible.