Vegetable cutting apparatus comprises a conveyor including vegetable support elements 3, and a vegetable securing mechanism (10, fig. 3) situated above the conveyor for securing vegetable pieces 7 over openings 6 in the support elements so that blades 62 of a cutting mechanism may pass through the openings from below the vegetable support elements and engage the vegetables. A drive means drives the vegetable support elements 3 towards the securing and cutting mechanisms and a timing means is configured to (i) advance the conveyor stepwise for pre-defined distances, (ii) halt the conveyor for predetermined periods of time with the centre of a vegetable support opening 6 aligned with the central axis of a vegetable securing mechanism, and (iii) control actuation of the vegetable securing mechanism and cutting mechanism so as to secure the vegetable portions and cut parts therefrom. The vegetable support elements are preferably plates 3, and the openings 6 may be recessed in the plates (see figure 9). The securing mechanism preferably includes jaws (20, fig. 5a) which grip the sides of the vegetable pieces, and pistons (31, fig. 3) which clamp the vegetable pieces to the plates 3. The vegetables are preferably potatoes.
