Sponsors and Seed Potato Suppliers 2026
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our GYOP sponsors 2026
Their generous sponsorship of GYOP allows us to send over 7,000 free kits to schools across the UK
We would like to take a moment to say a sincere thank you to the incredible sponsors who make Grow Your Own Potatoes (GYOP) possible. Without their ongoing support, GYOP simply wouldn’t happen. Their generosity enables thousands of primary school children across the UK to experience the joy of growing their own food, while learning about sustainability and where their food comes from.
A special thank you to our long-standing supporters McCain Foods, Branston, E Park, Puffin Produce, and of course Potato House for their continued commitment to GYOP.
We are also delighted to welcome Oldershaws of Moulton as a new sponsor this year—thank you for your support.
We are also incredibly grateful to our returning sponsors PepsiCo, Edina Trust, AKP, Cockerill, BPTA, PBGA, and GB Potatoes, who continue to support our mission to connect children with food, farming, and sustainability.
A particular thank you goes to Cygnet PB and IPM, who not only continue to sponsor GYOP but also provide the vital seed potatoes for schools to grow.
We are proud to continue growing our reach across Northern Ireland, with the valued support of McCreight Potatoes and Wilsons Country, helping us ensure GYOP remains a truly UK-wide initiative.
We are incredibly grateful to each and every sponsor for their commitment to this programme. Their support is helping to inspire the next generation, nurture an understanding of food and farming, and promote sustainability in schools across the UK.
If you are part of a company that would like to get involved in supporting GYOP, we would love to hear from you—please do get in touch.
There’s still time to get involved in 2026 too! We are actively seeking prizes for schools in the summer—if you’d like to support, we’d love to hear from you.
Please click on the logo below to find out more about each sponsor or check out what they have to say below. Please support our sponsors and leave them a note on their social media using #GYOPotatoes.
Potato House is the leading supplier of seed potatoes delivering to the public and garden centres across the UK. They specialise in heritage varieties and most of their produce is organic.
Home of Quality Seed Potatoes
#Tiptoptatties
Branston is one of the largest potato suppliers in the UK. We handle around 350,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes every year and aim to get the best potential from every one.
E. Park
We are a family owned and run company which specialises in supplying fresh potatoes to retail, food processing and wholesale customers.
E. Park is an established global business and has the infrastructure to trade worldwide. We can pack any size of potatoes into returnable trays, paper sacks or cardboard boxes. We pack to order 7 days a week, 364 days per year to ensure that all of our deliveries are at the optimum quality. We have a proven track record of delivering on time, every time.
#parkpotatoes
We’re proud to offer quality Welsh potatoes, grown, picked and packed in Pembrokeshire. We’re the largest supplier of Welsh produce in Wales, supplying a variety of potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
The AKP Group is one of the UK’s largest potato growers and a true potato supply chain specialist, committed to quality and providing an end to end solution to the Potato Industry.
#AKPGroup
R S Cockerill are a family business based at Dunnington, near York. We supply the major crisp manufacturers with processing potatoes, helping to make some of the nation’s most recognisable snacks. In addition, supplying quality packed potatoes in partnership with one of the leading UK retailers, foodservice and ready meal manufacturing industries.
#thepotatopeople
The Edina Trust's charitable purpose is to support primary science education. It provides grants directly to schools, as well as to various organisations around the UK, to promote this purpose.
Vertically Integrated Allium Supply Chain
Oldershaw specialise in alliums and manage the supply chain from the field to your plate. Be that in the form of whole bulb onions, garlic and shallots from the supermarket, prepared onions or garlic as part of a ready meal or salad, or eaten in a meal in a restaurant. They offer their growers whole crop utilisation through their varied range of products and customers.
Family run seed and ware potato business in Co. Down.
#mccreightpotatoes
We are also known as Patch Seed Potatoes
#patchseedpotatoes
Wilson’s Country is the leading potato brand in Ireland. Our commitment to innovation and marketing has positioned us as one of the leaders in the industry, supplying retailers, foodservice and food manufacturers with own label and branded pre-pack, peeled and convenience potatoes.
Potatoes are our passion… Since Angus Wilson started the business from the family farm in the 1980’s we have grown from strength to strength. We now employ over 70 staff who work from our 6 acre site in County Armagh. We are one of the premier potato packers and processors in Ireland. We hold key accounts with many of the leading food retailers in the country. Not only do we supply a branded Wilson’s Country and You Say Potato range we also offer various own label ranges, exemplifying the trust placed in the company.
#Wilsonscountry
#Goodhonestspuds
Seed Potato Suppliers 2026
All seed grown in schools is kindly donated by the potato industry. For 2026 seed has been supplied by:
Cygnet Potato Breeders
Variety: Casablanca
Casablanca was named after the musical and film as many Cygnet PB varieties are, such as our most recent success Kingsman. There’s around 200 hectares of Casablanca grown in GB, mostly in the early areas such as Ayrshire in Scotland and Comber in Ireland. In these areas there is a preference for the fluffier types of early potato which Casablanca produces.
There will be 4 tubers of these - one will be used to do the Beneath the soil experiment.
England, Scotland and Wales
.IMP Potato Group
Variety: Cristina
High yields of attractive deep red skinned tubers. Good numbers of uniform, medium sized, oval shaped tubers.
There will be 3 tubers of these in your pack.
England, Scotland and Wales
McCreight
Variety: Celebration
Celebration is a mid-early firm cooking variety with good tuber count and festive appearance.
Celebration seed potatoes, a rather beautiful taste and remarkable appearance – enjoy as a salad potato for something a bit different.
Northern Ireland
McCreight
Variety: Vitabella
Vitabella is high blight resistance variety with long harvest window and excellent storage capability. It produces great flavoured light yellow oval tubers, with yellow flesh. Perfect for boiling and chipping.
Northern Ireland
What our current sponsors say
There is still time to join our 2026 sponsors as we seek prizes for the competition in the summer.
“We are extremely grateful to our partners for getting behind this fantastic initiative. Not only will they be helping to make a difference to the way children view their food, at an early age, developing healthy eating habits that will stay with them as they grow. With their help we now have the potential to reach 240,000 children with positive messages about potatoes – messaging that benefits the whole sector.”
Andrew Skea
Director
"McCreight Potatoes Ltd is a proud supporter of GYOP, empowering kids to grow their own produce. This initiative not only encourages healthier eating and an appreciation for food but also cultivates vital skills like patience and teamwork, enhancing children's confidence and overall well-being."
Alex McCreight
"What a fabulous initiative educating the next generation about the origin and value of food. Potatoes are such a versatile and great value part of any meal. Another essential life lesson."
Rufus Pilgrim
R S Cockerill (York) Ltd
"The AKP Group is proud to sponsor GYOP and its commitment to School children in The UK and educating them on the Humble potato, we are thrilled to be a part of this project and look forward to providing our support in any way going forward."
Carrie Wilks
Arundel Kerr Produce Ltd
“As a family business, we believe that it is very important to show future generations where food comes from. The Grow Your Own Potatoes Project fulfils a vital role in promoting healthy eating, and as a company, E. Park is extremely proud to be supporting the Project.”
Christopher Park
Director
E Park & Sons
“The Edina Trust is excited to support the Grow Your Own Potatoes project. It enriches the primary science curriculum with a hands-on experience, helping children to understand where their food comes from.”
Samantha Moore
Edina Trust
“We are thrilled to support the GYOP programme as it continues to flourish and helps educate children across the UK about where their food comes from. The kits allow kids to get hands-on experience, learning about the different stages of potato growing and ultimately learning how to cook delicious food. We are now in our 11th year of sponsorship of the programme and we look forward to working with the team in the future.”
James Young
GB Vice President, Agriculture
McCain Foods
"Puffin Produce are delighted to sponsor GYOP again this year, as the project educates children about where their food comes from and how to grow their own produce. This is such an important skill to learn at a young age and something we want to encourage for future generations."
Sarah-Jane Sutton
Marketing Executive
"As proud sponsors of GYOP, Wilson’s Country is delighted to contribute to educating future generations about the importance of potatoes in a healthy diet. At the end of the day… who doesn’t love potatoes."
Jodie Johnston
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