James Blair Named 2026 Young Grower of the Year
The potato industry is celebrating the success of two rising stars - James Blair, the 2026 Young Grower of the Year and runner-up and innovation award winner, Amber Davy.
Research commissioned by Potatoes New Zealand surveyed over 1,100 New Zealanders about fish and chips.
The research found that 31% of those surveyed preferred to "just add salt" to their hot chips, followed closely by tomato sauce at 29%.
19% said they preferred hot chips in bread and butter as the classic "chip butty". Meanwhile, 12% said they preferred vinegar over their chips and 2% said they reach for Worcestershire sauce.
Hot chips also stand out in their own right, with 16% saying they are the real star of the meal and only 1% saying they do not like them.
Kate Trufitt, chief executive of Potatoes New Zealand, says that more than half of New Zealand's domestic potato harvest goes into processing for hot chips or fries.
“We know there’s very strong demand for domestically-grown potatoes for processing for hot chips, so it’s interesting to see this research showing how people enjoy eating them. Long may that Friday night fish and chips tradition continue," Trufitt says.
"Potatoes make a significant contribution to New Zealander’s diets because of their valuable nutrition status," she says.
"Most New Zealanders get around 30% of their vitamin C requirement from potatoes and they are a very good source of potassium."
The research found that 83% of participants associated fish and chips strongly or fairly strongly with New Zealand culture or Kiwi identity.
For many New Zealanders, Friday-night fish and chips still evoke a classic Kiwi tradition (46%), paper-wrapped hot chips (40%) and the welcome relief of a night off cooking (38%).
There are over 150 commercial potato growers in New Zealand with a growing area of about 10,000 hectares.
Potatoes are grown all over the country, with the principle growing areas Pukekohe, Manawatu and Canterbury.
“Potatoes support regional communities and local economies, while providing a nutritious, affordable and much loved food for Kiwi families,” says Trufitt.
“They are also extremely versatile. So, while the research shows the popularity of hot chips, especially on a Friday night, potatoes are being served up and enjoyed in so many different ways in New Zealand homes every day of the week.”
