Glasgow Allotments Forum

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Potato Day

Save the date: Sat 20 Feb 2027

Times and varieties to follow in the Autumn & Winter.

We’ll get our bulk pre-order process up and running from December.

In the meantime, read about last year’s event down below and you can see what you’re in for!

Sat 21 Feb 2025, 11:00 – 14:00

Our annual sale of seed potatoes, onions, garlic, seeds and compost to kick-start your season

Come along and grab what you like – take a 2kg bag, or pick-n-mix with individual tubers just to try a selection.

Grab yourself a tea and a cake at the cafe too!

It’s also a great chance to meet other people from across the city. Last year we had over 500 people through the doors.

Any proceeds go into helping us cover any of the basic expenses associated with the work we do to support your allotment sites,

It also goes directly back into the community via things like the New Plotholder Awards to encourage fresh growers to plan out the best, most sustainable, most thoughtfully designed allotment they can make.

Find our Venue

Print our Poster

Volunteer to Help Out

No experience necessary

Get £5 to spend in the cafe and first dibs on the stock on the day!

Sign up

What was on offer?

Varieties that are either less-commonly grown, are grown to the seed potato stage under organic conditions, or have a unique appearance (e.g. interesting skin or flesh colour) were available in 1kg bags (approx. 8-10 tubers) @ £4.25 – see those marked with an asterisk below.

The rest were available in 2kg bags (approx. 15-20 tubers) @ £5.25

All were be available for pick-n-mix with individual tubers @ 35p each

First Earlies

  • Accord
  • Caldonian Pearl
  • Casablanca (organically grown)
  • Colleen (organically grown)
  • Francis
  • Maris Bard (organically grown)
  • Pentland Javelin
  • Premiere
  • Red Duke of York
  • Rocket
  • Sharpe’s Express

Second Earlies

  • Acoustic (organically grown)
  • Bambino (organically grown)
  • Charlotte
  • Jazzy
  • Marfona
  • Maris Peer (organically grown)
  • Ratte
  • Sagitta
  • Sally
  • Skywalker
  • Twinner (organically grown)
  • Wilja

Main Crop

  • Alouette
  • Arran Victory (organically grown)
  • Belle de Fontenay
  • Buffalo (organically grown)
  • Cara
  • Desiree
  • Gatsby (organically grown)
  • Golden Wonder
  • Harmony
  • Heidi Red (organically grown)
  • Hermes (organically grown)
  • Java (organically grown)
  • Kerr’s Pink
  • King Edward
  • Maris Piper
  • Nemo
  • Orla
  • Picasso
  • Sarpo Axona (organically grown)
  • Sarpo Mira
  • Setanta (organically grown)

Onions – 50 sets @ £3.75

  • Stuttgarter Giant
  • Sturon (now unavailable due to shortage)
  • Red Baron

Shallots – 400g packs (approx. 15 sets) @ £4.75

  • Golden Gourmet
  • Red Sun

Garlic – 2 bulbs (approx. 20-25 cloves) @ 4.75

  • Vigour
  • Pink Germidour
  • Sylvagrow (RHS approved) peat-free compost available in 50 litre bags @ £13 each
  • Planter bags with handles (40.5 litre capacity) – great for quickly turning a patio corner into a growing space – £5 each
  • Wide range of fruit, veg and flower packets from Kings Seeds – individually priced
  • Seed Swap!
    • Join the Glasgow Community Seed Coop for the annual Potato Day seed swap, where you can browse open pollinated, locally adapted seeds, saved in community and commercially, including some exciting diverse populations.
    • Packets will be limited to 3 per individual, and 6 per community group. Bring some spare envelopes for seeds in jars, and of course any seeds you have to swap! Get there early to avoid disappointment.
    • Glasgow Community Seed Cooperative (formally Glasgow Seed Library), since 2019, has cared for an accessible public seed library supporting the sharing and climate adaptation of vegetable, herb, flower, and dye seeds. Through talks, workshops, skill-swaps, screenings, and collaborations, the Cooperative works to revive and sustain a living culture of seed saving in Glasgow and beyond. 
      The current seed library can be found in the ground floor of the Mitchell Library. 
    • Insta: @glasgowseedcoop
  • Propagate Scotland
    • Susan from Propagate is preparing for the event by ripping up maps and throwing vegetables around…
    • Propagate is a Scottish collective specialising in local, community and sustainable food projects. We want to see a world where high quality, nutrient rich sustainable food is available to all, through a resilient food system which is fair to producers and consumers and healthy for people and planet.
    • propagate.org.uk
    • Insta: @propagate.scotland
    • Facebook: propagate.scotland
    • Linktree: linktr.ee/propagatescotland
  • Facepainting, potato printing and more
    • Our kids’ corner will have facepainting (£5 per face from the amazing Colour Me Happy), potato printing, drawing and potato-themed wordsearches
  • Local artist Emily Chappell
    • Emily’s back again and bringing along some of her infamous Tattiespotting T-shirts, tote bags, and other creations on the theme of planting, growing and eating
    • Insta: @emilychappellillustration

Accessibility note: this room is on the first floor. It is accessible via the main staircase or via the lift, both followed by a further 6 steps (like a half-landing).

The rest of the event has step-free access, which begins at the entrance on Pearce Street.

The Pearce Institute’s on-site cafe will be there to serve tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches throughout the day!

Last year’s event in numbers

New to picking potatoes?

Bulk orders – NOW CLOSED – but read on and think about it for next year!

Think you could spend over £150? Maybe your allotment site / friend group could?

Save time queuing on the day and order in advance – and save money compared to the on-the-day price! Most items are around 15% cheaper via bulk order.

  • 1. Drop us an email first

    • Let us know you’re planning to make a bulk order
    • Helps us plan ahead
    • No obligation – you’re not committed to ordering anything
    • Helps us remind you when the deadline approaches
    Email us – gafforum@gmail.com

  • 2. Build an order – £150 or more

    • Anyone can make a bulk order:
      • Group together with friends and other growers?
      • Talk to your committee, if you’re on an allotment site?
      • Post the order form on your notice board?
    • Check the deadline – Friday 7th February
    • Fill out one order sheet for your group
    • Contact us if you need another format
    Download Excel (auto-calculates price)
    Download PDF (manual entry)

  • 3. Email us your order form by the deadline

    • Last orders close Friday 13th February – NOW CLOSED – we need time to check your order, let you organise alternatives within your group members if anything goes out of stock, and then pack your order
    • Don’t let someone beat you to the stock availability – order early!

  • 4. We’ll check, confirm stock, and arrange payment

    • Occasionally there are late crop failures, so we’ll let you know as soon as possible if the wholesalers need to change the amount we’re going to be sent

  • 5. Collect your order – Sat 21st Feb before 10:30am or after 1pm

    We’ll have your sacks ready for you to pick up from our venue, the Pearce Institute, on Potato Day itself.

    We’ll email you to arrange an exact pickup time.

Help us run Potato Day
Print our poster for your allotment notice board