Potatoes from heaven...

If you want to taste the most amazing potatoes you are ever likely to have, and you are in Cumbria in June, then make a trip to Sandgate Farm in Flookburgh and buy enough for dinner.  

There used to be quite a lot of potato growers in Cumbria. Our very wet climate, while not much good for most crops, is absolutely ideal for potatoes, at least if it's flavour you're after. The Wilson family can tell you all about that. On the Cartmel peninsula, which used to be a hotspot for potato growing, Philip and Julie are now pretty much the only ones left - and what they pull out of the ground is pure heaven.

The potato season starts in early June, exactly when depends on how warm the spring weather has been. This is when the Wilsons start harvesting what they call their early early crop, of Ulster Septas. These potatoes are unlike anything most British people ever have the pleasure of tasting. They are white, almost translucent, the skin is so thin it pretty much washes off, and they absolutely melt in your mouth. In short - they are the ultimate new potatoes, and they should most definitely be eaten the day they are picked.

"We sell the potatoes here on the farm and also through a wholesaler in Ulverston, who provides shops in the area," says Julie. "We have an agreement with him that he doesn't sell on yesterday's crop - he makes sure he only buys as much as he can sell on the day."

The early early variety lasts about six weeks, after which the Wilsons move on to harvesting a succession of different crops through the summer and autumn. Don't miss this seasonal chance to taste something truly unique - go and see Philip and Julie. When you get into the village of Flookburgh, take the road due west towards the sea, and Sandgate farm is the last one before the shore.

If you are visiting the Solway Firth this time of year, also keep your eyes peeled for farms selling their own new potatoes - there are a few potato growers here too.

Content and photography supplied by artisan-food.com