Thursday, October 4, 2012

  Largest potato display: Sobeys Display sets world record (PICS)

Charlottetown, PE, Canada -- A giant potato display, featuring a final total of 92,500 pounds of Prince Edward Island potatoes, was completed at the Sobeys retail location on University Avenue in Charlottetown, setting the new world record for the Largest potato display, according to the World Record Academy: www.worldrecordacademy.com/.

  Photo: The finished World's Largest Potato Display at the Sobeys location in University Avenue in Charlottetown, PE. 92,050 lbs of potatoes...and Tate! ( enlarge photo )

The Guinness world record for the Largest potato display is 80,000 lbs, previously set by a market in Spanish Forks, Utah in the United States.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest serving of potato salad; it was made by Spilva Ltd, Latvia and weighed 3.27 tonnes (7,224.5 lb).

  The World's Largest Potato Display consists of 10 pound paper bags of PEI potatoes supplied by Prince Edward Island potato growers, including WP Griffin Inc. in Elmsdale and Jewell's of PEI Inc. in York.

Photo: Tate is helping Derek MacLeod, Produce Manager at the Sobeys store on University Avenue in Charlottetown, put the last bag on the World's Largest Potato Display, now complete! 92,050 lbs of potatoes! ( enlarge photo )

  Kendra Mills, marketing manager for the P.E.I. Potato Board, said there is a friendly rivalry between P.E.I. and Idaho, the current Guinness world record holder, when it comes to potatoes so it was good to see the Island set a new record.

  This record-setting display also kicks off a five day sale on potatoes at this location, ahead of the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.

  To celebrate, Sobeys hosted a barbeque on Wednesday, October 3rd from 4 to 6 pm and on Thursday, October 4th from 11 am to 2 pm.

  Proceeds from the barbeque went to the Canadian Potato Museum in O'Leary, PEI.

  As well, WP Griffin Inc. provided baked potatoes from their portable potato baking machine. Also on hand was "Tate," the PEI Potatoes mascot and "Bud the Spud," the mascot for WP Griffin Inc.