About Us
Our potato business operates through the branch network where we work with leading potato growers and packers to produce the quality potatoes demanded by chain-stores, greengrocers, processors and export customers.
Elders Limited is the major supplier of potatoes protected by Plant Breeders Rights in Australia. Elders manages a selection of proprietary potatoes from around the world that provide a broad range of benefits to growers and consumers. These benefits to growers include pest and disease resistance, higher yields and pack-outs and for consumers improved freshness, resistance to greening, easier to peel, and greater suitability to particular styles of cooking.
Potatoes have a unique place in the history of humanity. They came originally from Peru in South America and were shipped by Spanish explorers to Europe in the 1600's to become recognised as a staple food in Europe.
The potato allowed Europeans the luxury of another food with the ability to reliably grow, store and conveniently prepare meals. Potatoes actually helped increase the fertility rate of Irish farmers as they became better fed with the nutritious potato. Cooking was not difficult and did not require the equipment needed to make bread. When Europeans migrated to Australia, so too did the potato.
Potatoes can be used in several ways for cooking including for baking, boiling, mashing, microwaving and frying BUT "a spud ain't just a spud".
Potatoes have specific qualities that often make them more suitable for some styles of cooking and not suitable for others. This is mainly a result of their breeding and to a lesser degree where they are grown. The table in Selecting and Cooking shows the suitability of potato types to cooking styles and recipes that will help you to select the potato for your next planned meal.