Potato market in the UK - statistics & facts

Today, potatoes can be enjoyed in a variety of traditional British and Irish foods, such as shepherd’s pie, neeps, and taties or chips. While the UK has historically held a strong potato market, its growth is staggering. In 2020, the turnover of processed and preserved potato products was approximately 2.3 million British pounds. This value had nearly doubled from the previous ten years.

Potato manufacturing

Potato chips, known as crisps in the UK, are another popular food item for Brits. While potato chips saw a small increase in their sales value in the UK over the last decade, another potato category saw an even greater increase. Between the years of 2008 and 2018, the sales value of frozen potato products, such as chips, increased by over 100 million British pounds. In general, the sale of processed and preserved potatoes in the UK consistently increased in recent years. In 2020, the sales value of processed and preserved potatoes was approximately 1.13 billion British pounds.

Retail and trade

The export of potatoes from the UK was increasing until 2019 and then experienced a 36 percent decrease in the following two years. In 2021, the export value of potatoes from the UK was at about 91 million British pounds. Of all retail sales of potatoes in the UK, most sales came from crisps. Closely following this was fresh potatoes, and then pre-packed fresh products. In the UK, the leading brand on frozen potato products was Any McCain.

UK potato consumption

As of 2019/2020, the average UK consumer spends approximately 128 pence per week on fresh and processed potato products. Of this figure, 46 pence are spent on crisps, and 37 pence is spent on chips. In the UK, over 14 million citizens consume frozen chip products at least once a week, solidifying this products importance to the UK potato market.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Emma Bedford, Jan 30, 2023

Key insights

UK income from potato output
706m GBP
Producer price index of potatoes in the UK
138.2
Number of enterprises with a potato turnover of more than 50m GBP
10
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Value of potato production in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2003 to 2021 (in million GBP)

Crop Production

Potato production value in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2021

Retail sales value of crisps in Great Britain (UK) from 2006 to 2021* (in 1,000 GBP)

Snacks

Crisps retail sales value in Great Britain (UK) 2006-2021

Brands of frozen chips and potato products ranked by number of consumers in Great Britain in 2021 (in 1,000s)

Food & Nutrition

Brands of frozen potato products in Great Britain 2021, by number of users

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