Senior food producer Abigail Spooner visits Jersey in the Channel Islands to learn all about the short-season spuds from experts in their field.

We are rambling along the top of a côtil – a sloping field overlooking the sea – watching Jersey Royal harvesters tirelessly lift potatoes by hand as they climb from bottom to top. The slope is so steep that tractors aren’t an option, and the only piece of machinery used is a winch and plough system which gently turns over the soil. From hand-grading and fleecy blankets in the winter to meticulous harvesting in spring-summer, these are well-nurtured spuds.

Jersey has some of the largest tidal flows in the world, meaning substantial quantities of seaweed (known locally as vraic) are washed up on the shores. Farmers use this vraic as a natural fertiliser for the potatoes – a practice that dates to the 12th century. The island also benefits from a unique microclimate and light, well-drained soil that allows the potatoes to truly flourish. Thanks to their Protected Designation of Origin Status (PDO), Jersey Royals must always be grown on the island of Jersey.

Local farmers Christine and Didier Hellio have been proudly growing Jersey Royals for four generations on the island and we are lucky enough to taste their early crop potatoes from field to fork. Christine insists on enjoying them simply buttered and never crushed. And I have to say, they are unlike any potato I have tasted before – deliciously nutty in flavour, creamy in texture and encased in delicate, papery skins.

So, enjoy Jersey Royals boiled and glazed with a generous knob of salted butter – like the locals – or branch out and explore our recipes below. Either way, be sure to make the most of the season, which runs from the end of April to the start of July.