IAN Cahill loves potatoes.
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Just one mention of the word sees him reel off endless facts about the starchy vegetable, including its history, nutritional value and the difference between your run-of-the mill spud and a corker.
"I'm one of the few people you can rely on in the district to get any variety of potato," Mr Cahill says.
"When I look for potatoes I don't look for generic.
"I don't care how ugly they are - the uglier they look the better they taste."
Mr Cahill is a potato middle man - the guy who sources good quality spuds for some of central Victoria's top restaurants, including Castlemaine's Railway Hotel and Bendigo's GPO.
All the potatoes are grown by local farmers and include rare gems such as the purple congo, which is packed with antioxidants.
Mr Cahill has been working in the potato industry in some way or other for seven years, but 12 months ago he started his own business, Spudman Vic.
In addition to supplying spuds to business, Mr Cahill also sells his 24 spud varieties to fish and chip shops, at markets and to individual households.
"We're all about the families, not just big businesses," he says.
He says that he is happy to deliver spuds to buyers' doors.
Mr Cahill grew up in a family of potato farmers, so his knowledge and preoccupation with the vegetable runs deep.
"I can't believe that the first food ever grown in outer space ... was the potato," he says.
"They (potatoes) fascinate me, I can't explain it.
"I get sheer enjoyment from (selling potatoes)."
His business is still in its infancy, but if Mr Cahill's passion is anything to go by, you can be assured he will persevere to make it a success.
"Customers say, 'Man you've got the best spuds ever'," he says.
"I'm not about selling 10-cent spuds."
To find out more about Mr Cahill's business, go to www.facebook.com/SpudmanVic
Or, you can call Mr Cahill to order a bag of spuds on 0429 592 989.