Farmers fight to reclaim the 'British New Potato' A spokeswoman said: "In nearly all of the samples, the potatoes had been harvested for some time before going on sale. In one case they didn't go on sale until March but had been harvested in August last year. The Potato Council said the new guidelines will remove confusion and "celebrate the British season." Caroline Evans, head of marketing, said: "Small salad potatoes need to be available all year round as they are a quick and tasty option. But we've lost the seasonality of the new potato, which means we can miss out on enjoying something extra special. Our description of a New Potato means that you know when you're enjoying them at their seasonal best. Bruce Kerr, a grower from Suffolk, added: "We used to call them scraping potatoes as they would be available early and with a skin you can just rub off. You can't beat a proper new potato as they are specially grown and packed full of taste. The push comes amid rising sales of British produce, which stores put down to customers wanting to buy UK-grown fruit and vegetables. The hot summer has also triggered bumper harvests of cherries and even apricots. Marks & Spencer last night said it was fully supportive of the Potato Council's work. Peter Tinkler, M&S potato buyer, said: "We've worked with our farmers to make sure our new potatoes are the freshest on the high street."