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AIBU?

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Original poster

Jacket potatoes used to be way bigger?

112 replies

midnights92 · 15/12/2025 21:38

DH and I both convinced the baking potatoes you can buy these days are far smaller than years ago.

Has shrinkflation spread to agriculture or are we both greedy bastards?

YABU - potatoes aren't getting smaller, that's insane.
YANBU - the conspiracy is real.

OP posts:
hardtocare · 15/12/2025 22:55

If you buy them loose they’re massive but the ones in plastic are much smaller

mashandgravy · 15/12/2025 22:55

Thank you.

I have been saying this for years.

itsthetea · 15/12/2025 22:52

We used to make 12 buns
4oz flour, 4oz sugar, 4oz butter and 2 eggs

now it’s 8,5,5,3

our eyes have gotten bigger

JohnBullshit · 15/12/2025 22:51

I don't mind what size they are, as long as they're consistent. One whopper potato in a bag of tiddlers is a pisstake. And another thing: there's absolutely no point in baking a potato if you're not going to eat the skin.

SwirlyGates · 15/12/2025 22:51

I buy them loose. The ones in multipacks generally are small.

They do vary year by year though, it depends on the growing conditions.

DeftGoldHedgehog · 15/12/2025 22:51

The loose ones in Tesco are consistently pretty large. I never buy packs of them.

TheLifeOfBrian1 · 15/12/2025 22:49

Like Christmas trees!

MonGrainDeSel · 15/12/2025 22:48

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 15/12/2025 21:50

Yes the skins! I haven’t changed anything about how I cook them, and never get that proper hard crispy shell now 😓😓😓

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In fact, I have cracked this.

Do not use oil. Run your potato under the tap and criss-cross with a knife plus salt and pepper before baking. You will thank me!

I am OK with the size of baked potatoes.

Sneezecough · 15/12/2025 22:47

I buy lose but the nice ones go quickly so they are tiny, huge or damaged.

fruitypancake · 15/12/2025 22:44

There’s been a potato shortage

macshoto · 15/12/2025 22:33

I think potatoes this year are smaller than normal due to the dry spring / summer.

Also you only tend to get the really large baking potatoes sold loose.

fatcat2007 · 15/12/2025 22:31

SnugglyJumpersMakeItBetter · 15/12/2025 21:43

Yes! Also, eggs! I've always bought 'large' and the ones you get these days definitely would have been classed as 'medium' 10 years ago.

I have my own hens but if I bought eggs I’d go for smaller. Hens can lay for longer laying smaller eggs - large eggs put their little bodies at risk of being egg bound when the eggs get stuck. The difference to us is only about 5g but to them is more risk in laying and pain pushing massive eggs out, that their bodies aren’t designed for. More pressure on farmers too.

BeardofHagrid · 15/12/2025 22:27

You’re right. You don’t get the whoppers you used to get. They are more like baby new potatoes in comparison nowadays 😅

Motomum23 · 15/12/2025 22:26

I get big ones from my local greengrocer... but actually I prefer 2 small ones as they cook better and you get more skin! Yummy!

justasking111 · 15/12/2025 22:21

DH went to Lidl last week came home with four enormous potatoes he'd picked loose. I couldn't eat a whole one.

Our greengrocer sells them in sacks. Keep it in the garage and they last months unwashed.r

bridgetreilly · 15/12/2025 22:19

Just buy bigger ones.

IdaGlossop · 15/12/2025 22:19

midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:13

Agree. Apparently I love the taste of pesticides.

But thank you @thenightskyfor some good intel. I feel like we're starting to understand the problem now.

If this isn't the call to action to fix global warming I don't know what is.

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Jacket potatoes are so much more important than loss of habits for endangered species, people displacement because of coastal erosion, and premature death in hot Summers. I feel a children's book coming on: "I WANT MY POTATO!!!"

cupfinalchaos · 15/12/2025 22:18

I agree op, I’ve been thinking this. The only big ones I find are loose ones in the local greengrocer.

Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:14

FofB · 15/12/2025 22:11

Yep. OH is a chef and you can buy 'sized' jacket potatoes by the box from the wholesaler. They are massive. I've never seen them available to buy that size in the supermarket.

He's like our potato spy, sharing the vital industry secrets.

I feel like I need to start a new thread documenting our tales trying to find a canteen sized potato of ca 2004

OP posts:
Original poster
midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:13

IdaGlossop · 15/12/2025 22:08

The skin's the best bit! I've been poisoning myself for decades.

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Agree. Apparently I love the taste of pesticides.

But thank you @thenightskyfor some good intel. I feel like we're starting to understand the problem now.

If this isn't the call to action to fix global warming I don't know what is.

OP posts:
FofB · 15/12/2025 22:11

Yep. OH is a chef and you can buy 'sized' jacket potatoes by the box from the wholesaler. They are massive. I've never seen them available to buy that size in the supermarket.

Izzywizzy85 · 15/12/2025 22:11

thenightsky · 15/12/2025 22:06

Global warming innit. You need to check the rainfall at tattie planting time. They won't grow big without water and the right conditions. Its not a conspiracy, just weather. I live in Lincolnshire where we grow them. And we don't eat the skins, ever. The top 2mm of skins contain all the pesticides and herbicide residue that is sprayed on the plants.

It isn’t though? You can buy great big ones if you buy loose potatoes! They’re just putting shite small ones in the four packs!
Also quite happy to poison myself for delicious crispy potato skin goodness 😁

plominoagain · 15/12/2025 22:10

midnights92 · 15/12/2025 22:03

I am very intrigued by the idea of a wholesale sized sack. This is really opening my eyes to the possibilities of having a truly unhinged amount of carbs in the house and I'm really delighted.

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I live in the Fens , so literally surrounded by potato fields , but I also use a cash and carry fruit and veg supplier who are a lot cheaper than supermarkets if I’ve got something like a party on , or Christmas for example . 25kg sacks of potatoes are about £8.50 near me , and I’ll get about 40 huge potatoes in that .

IdaGlossop · 15/12/2025 22:08

thenightsky · 15/12/2025 22:06

Global warming innit. You need to check the rainfall at tattie planting time. They won't grow big without water and the right conditions. Its not a conspiracy, just weather. I live in Lincolnshire where we grow them. And we don't eat the skins, ever. The top 2mm of skins contain all the pesticides and herbicide residue that is sprayed on the plants.

The skin's the best bit! I've been poisoning myself for decades.

thenightsky · 15/12/2025 22:06

Global warming innit. You need to check the rainfall at tattie planting time. They won't grow big without water and the right conditions. Its not a conspiracy, just weather. I live in Lincolnshire where we grow them. And we don't eat the skins, ever. The top 2mm of skins contain all the pesticides and herbicide residue that is sprayed on the plants.