From dry fields to dinner plates: what the potato harvest means for school meals

If your child comes home saying the jacket potatoes look smaller, or have disappeared from the menu, they may be right. There’s a good reason, and it starts with the weather.

Potatoes are thirsty.

A potato crop needs steady water through the summer, especially in July and August, when the tubers swell. This year, that is exactly when the rain stopped. England had its driest July since records began in 1836, and Wales had its driest July on record. The UK as a whole had its hottest summer on record, according to the Met Office.

“As one of Europe’s thirstiest crops, it was inevitable that the potato harvest would be hit hard,” said Tom Lancaster of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

The numbers.

ECIU estimates the drought knocked more than 3.5 million tonnes off potato harvests across Great Britain and northern Europe. In Great Britain, yields are about 11% below the five-year average, according to World Potato Markets. Across Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where much of Europe’s frozen chips are made, the crop is forecast to be about a quarter smaller than last year, according to the North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG).

When crops are smaller, prices rise. British processors were paying about £180 a tonne for potatoes in February. By September, the price was more than £300 a tonne.

So what does it mean for your child's jacket potato?

You may notice a few small changes over the coming months; On some days, potatoes may be swapped for another hot alternative, like a panini. Don't worry, we will notify you of any changes.

What won’t change.

Every meal still meets school food standards. Portions are planned to keep children full and focused through the afternoon.

Why we’re telling you.

We think families should know what goes on behind the lunch counter. The weather is changing how food is grown, and caterers are adapting so children don’t feel the difference where it matters.

Questions? Email us at diets@cleverchefs.co.uk.

Sources: Met Office; Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit; World Potato Markets via Grocery Gazette; NEPG via Potato News Today; IGD.