BELLE DE FONTENAY

Belle de Fontenay Seed Potatoes

From £8.49

An old French salad potato dating from around 1885, with long smooth yellow tubers, fine waxy flesh and exceptional flavour when eaten simply.

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Description

Belle de Fontenay is one of France's classic old salad potatoes. The long, smooth yellow tubers have shallow eyes and light yellow flesh with a firm, waxy texture. Its reputation rests on fine flavour rather than modern high yield.

It is best boiled or steamed in the skin, served in salads, sautéed or used in dishes where the tuber needs to hold together. Sources disagree on whether to call it First Early or early maincrop, but all agree it is an early-maturing heritage type. It is relatively low yielding and not especially disease resistant, so it is a variety chosen for eating quality and history.

Why grow Belle de Fontenay?

  • Maturity: Second Early
  • Cooking type: Waxy
  • Texture: Firm, fine-textured and waxy
  • Best for: Boiling, Salads, Sautéing, Steaming
  • Skin: Yellow
  • Flesh: Light yellow
  • Tuber shape: Long

Growing note: Harvest young for the finest waxy texture and use fairly promptly. Belle de Fontenay is less suited to very long storage than many modern maincrops.

Additional information

Weight 1 kg
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Culinary

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Maturity

Cooking Type

Skin colour

Yellow
Flesh colour

Light yellow
Tuber shape

Long
Texture

Firm, fine-textured and waxy

Planting & Growing

Chit seed potatoes in a cool, bright, frost-free place if you want to encourage an earlier start. Plant from March onwards once the soil is workable and the risk of hard frost is reducing.

Plant approximately 10–15cm deep, allowing about 30cm between tubers and around 60cm between rows. Earth up developing shoots to keep tubers covered and maintain an even water supply while tubers are forming.

Variety-specific advice: Harvest young for the finest waxy texture and use fairly promptly. Belle de Fontenay is less suited to very long storage than many modern maincrops.

Harvest: Begin checking from early summer; lift progressively when the tubers reach the size you want.

For detailed advice on chitting, feeding, watering, growing potatoes in bags and containers, harvesting and storage, see our Seed Potato Growing Guides.

Delivery & Seed Info

Dispatch & Delivery

New-season seed potato dispatch normally begins from December/January, with orders sent as varieties become available. Where possible, we will group items from the same order into one delivery.

Quality & Storage

Patch specialises in seed potatoes. Our seed potatoes are carefully stored to maintain quality and visually checked before packing and dispatch.

Need a Larger Quantity?

We stock more than 50 varieties and can supply larger quantities than those shown online. Contact Alex if you require a larger quantity or have a specific requirement.

Growing Advice

Need some help getting started? Visit our Seed Potato Growing Guides for advice on chitting, planting, growing in bags and containers, harvesting and storage.

Problems With Your Delivery?

Please check your order when it arrives and contact us promptly if anything has been damaged in transit.

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