British cooks are losing the art of cooking the humble potato, according to a new survey.

Statistics show that people are uncertain of what variety they should use if they want roasts, chipped, mashed or boiled.

Cooking potatoes was once considered the most basic of all cooking knowledge with the skill of preparing different potato dishes such as roast, baked and mashed generally known.

But that is no longer the case and with the knack becoming lost to a generation brought up on fast food and in particular chips.

Now one Shropshire food campaigner is planning to fight back.

Jonathan Corbett, who is the potato buyer for Tesco, has launched a crusade to help cooks create perfect potato dishes every time. His new range of spuds went on sale today.

Mr Corbett said the new survey had prompted Tesco to launch a range of five specially selected potato varieties in bags with each guaranteed to give perfect roast, wedged, mashed, boiled or baked spuds.

Even the bags will have easy to follow instructions on how to make them.

Mr Corbett said: “Unfortunately a whole generation has grown up with fast food as an easy option diet and in particular with chips as their preferred form of cooked potato.

“Now the chickens have come home to roost in that younger Brits no longer know which variety of potato to buy and how to cook them to perfection.

“Instead most younger shoppers these days will buy a standard bag of whites as a one size fits all option and are disappointed when the results aren’t right.”

Mr Corbett added that is was sad that people had lost the art of cooking a humble spud but added: “We want to restore the art of making great spuds and of course the joy of eating them afterwards.

“Certain varieties produce large even-shaped potatoes with a relatively high dry matter content which makes them ideal for baking.

“Conversely other varieties produce many smaller potatoes with a lower, dry matter content and sweeter flavour making them ideal for boiling.”

How to make the perfect fluffy mash!

If you don’t know how to make the perfect mashed potatoes then try this recipe from Shropshire chef Ian Swainson.

Ian works in the Michelin starred kitchen of La Becasse, in Ludlow’s Corve Street. He is sous chef to award winner Will Holland.

Ian says: “You need to start with the correct variety of potato.

“I would take something like desiree. The best way to get fluffy mash is to prick the potato and then bake it in the oven on top of a bed of rock salt. That helps to extract all of the water from it.

“When the potato is soft, cut it in half and scoop the fluffy white from it.

“Then put it through a drum sieve, or mash it, with plenty of unsalted butter.

“Season it with salt and pepper and finish it off with whole milk. That will give it a luxurious silky texture.”