The potato industry continues to introduce new varieties and flavors, hoping to entice shoppers into experimenting with potatoes as major culinary choices, not just side dishes. Don Odiorne, vice president of foodservice for the Eagle Falls-based Idaho Potato Commission, sees a bright future for the potato industry. “People from the Generation X and millennials are just now starting to discover how many ways potatoes can be prepared. Our challenge is to show consumers, cooks, and chefs that potatoes can be both healthy and indulgent, comforting and eclectic. We can succeed in many more ways than just French fries, baked, mashed, and hash browns—and I think we’re making progress in those areas.”
Nutritional value and flavor may not have been focal points in years past, but the tide is starting to turn with new marketing campaigns. The Idaho Potato Commission is tackling the situation on multiple fronts, even working with food bloggers to “create approachable ways to prepare potatoes as one-dish meals and exciting variations of side dishes.” The Commission also relies on its Great Big Idaho Potato truck tours to build brand equity, along with the annual ‘Famous Idaho Potato Bowl’ postseason football matchup.
Race-West Company has a slightly different approach: Joseph Cutler, director of European operations, travels the world looking for new and interesting ways to market and prepare potatoes.
One example is following the British Potato Council’s outreach programs, which teaches kids to grow potatoes in school, fostering a favorable image of the spud’s nutritional value and methods of preparation from an early age.
