This study reports the application of the encapsulation/dehydration cryopreservation and microsatellite analysis to the conservation of Solanum tuberosum cultivars Brodick and Golden Wonder. Cryopreserved shoot-tips were capable of up to 40% shoot and plantlet regeneration in Brodick and >60 % for Golden Wonder. Microsatellite analysis was used with genomic DNA of Golden Wonder and Desiree to establish DNA sequence length polymorphisms. As the basis of stability assessments this technique was applied to: (i) individual, field-grown, plants of Golden Wonder; (ii) individual Golden Wonder plants derived from a single parental tuber progeny; (iii) plantlets derived from in vitro cultures of Golden Wonder and Brodick and (iv) Golden Wonder and Brodick plantlets derived from cryopreserved germplasm