A potato lover has made a 1,000-mile round trip to Scotland in order to dig up his own supply.

Jamie McCoo, from Deal in Kent, was brought up in Scotland and has travelled back in recent years to collect 25kgs of his favourite Ayrshire new potatoes.

The 69-year-old had contacted Scotty Brand to check for stockists of Ayrshire potatoes in the south east of England but with no availability south of the Border he was invited to Girvan, South Ayrshire to dig his own batch with father and son farmers Drew and David Young.

He said: “My mother always told me that the first dig resulted in the best batch and Ayrshire potatoes are some of the finest new potatoes grown in the UK.

“Ayrshire potatoes come into season in June, so I’ve been making the special trip for the last couple of years to stock up for summer.

“Scotty’s new potatoes are in my opinion the best out there, so it’s been great to meet the farmer Drew Young who allowed me literally to dig my own batch.”

Farmer David Young with Jamie McCoo and his batch of potatoes (Peter Sandground/PA)
Farmer David Young with Jamie McCoo and his batch of potatoes (Peter Sandground/PA)

Richard Allison, general manager of Scotty Brand, said the trip was a great way to start the production season.

He said: “We receive many requests from customers desperately searching for the best Scottish seasonal produce, but Jamie McCoo’s correspondence really stood out.

“Having emailed our customer service team to check for stockists of his favourite Ayrshires in the south east, he was disappointed to discover they weren’t available south of the border but made it clear that he was prepared to make a special visit.

“We invited Mr McCoo to select his crop personally from Scotty’s Girvan-based farmer, Drew Young and he’s promised to share his four stone of potatoes with his Scottish friends in Kent.”