The Princesa Amandine potato continues to grow in the Spanish distribution sector. In just a few years, the Amandine variety from Germicopa has found a space in the large supermarkets.
Fruit Today talked to Jean Michel Beranger, General Manager of the Princesa Amandine Ibérica Association, which is formed by four marketing companies: Udapa, el Zamorano, Ibérica de Patatas, and Campotec.
Why do you think that Amandine potatoes are being so well received?
Basically, because we offer a single variety all year long and consumers do not perceive any changes in the product, and so they repeat their purchases. There are many potato varieties in this category and the changes according to season are usually significant.
The fact that you have carried out a barometer with the preferences of over 800 consumers, a seriously important figure, is virtually unheard of.
Yes, that is true and we intend to carry one out every year. It is a measurement that we carry out to discover potato consumers’ cooking preferences. It is very useful for our clients to know which way the market is moving, and so we can make the category grow.
Just a year ago you officially presented the ready-cooked range in Madrid; will the Amandine family continue to grow?
Our star product is the one and a half kilo bag, and in less than three years we have extended the family with the fresh-cut format of 400 g and the ready-cooked range with potatoes prepared with Provencal herbs. And in the Cash and Carry centres, we have 6 kilo boxes. It has all happened very fast, but we are not ruling anything out for the future. I think that it is interesting to have other complements for a more city-dwelling public or for different occasions. They might be one and a half kilo bag consumers and at a given moment, they could buy the microwave bag or directly purchase a product from the fresh-cut range because they do not have time to cook.
What has Amandine’s growth rate been?
This year we have grown by 20%. We could have increased more if we hadn’t had a cut in the supply due to lack of produce in May.
Is this the reason behind your interest in growing produce in Israel?
Yes, indeed. The truth is that in France there are problems due to pressure from transforming companies, and in Spain due to climate change. The idea behind the Israeli project is to have new potatoes in April and May, when in Europe, for one reason or another, there are none available. We carried out the first trials last year in France, but I consider that, at the moment, it is a long-term project. We will see.
