When did potatoes come to Britain?

Potatoes first came to Britain in the second half of the 16th century. There are many different stories about how potatoes first came to the country, but we can be sure that the first potatoes were brought to Britain by Spanish explorers. The explorers returned to Spain with potatoes and other plants from South America at the beginning of the 16th century. Then people from there brought the potatoes back to Britain over time.