Securing the future of the British apple
Sainsbury’s is launching a brand new farming initiative that will see more UK-grown organic apples on its shelves than at any other supermarket. Announced just as Organic Fortnight commences, the industry-leading scheme pioneers the way organic apples are grown, and sees Sainsbury’s make a long-term commitment to securing the future of British organic apple growing industry.
The principal goal of the scheme, known as Organic Concept Orchard, is to ensure the longevity of British organic apple growers, by introducing a more cost effective way of growing apples to improve crop yields, without increasing the land used.
The initiative builds on the success of Sainsbury’s conventional crop Concept Orchard launched in September 2006. The original scheme also helps growers to produce fruit more efficiently, meaning that more of the profit can go straight back to the farmer.
At the Organic Concept Orchard Sainsbury’s is planting mainly new varieties, however it is also planting Cox apples, which is the most popular English conventional variety but has so far been unsuccessful to grow as an English organic variety. As a result of these advances The Soil Association is even planning to use the Organic Concept Orchard to produce a good practice guide for growing Organic topfruit in the UK.
Planned varieties:
Cox
A richly flavoured dessert apple with a fine juicy texture and bittersweet aromatic taste.
Raised in Slough by Richard Cox in 1825.
Harvested in the middle of September.
Royal Gala
A firm, crisp and juicy textured dessert apple with a deliciously sweet and mildly aromatic flavour.
Raised by J H Kidd at Greytown, Wairarapa in New Zealand in 1934.
Royal Gala is across of the Kidds Orange Red and Golden Delicious.
Harvested middle to late September.
Egremont Russet
A filly russeted dessert apple with a rich nutty flavour and crisp, firm and fairly juicy texture.
First recorded in the UK in 1872
Harvested towards the end of September.
Braeburn
A bi-coloured apple, introduced in 1952 from New Zealand. Braeburn is a cross between Lady Hamilton and Granny Smith apples. The fruit is crisp and juicy with a rich full blend of sweet and tart flavours.
Harvested in the middle of October.
Bramley
The ultimate cooking apple, with a fine texture and an excellent balance of sweet and acid flavours.
Raised by Mary Ann Brailsford in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, between 1809 and 1813.
Harvested August to the middle of September.
Pinova
Bred in Dresden Germany in 1986 is a cross between Duchess of Oldenburg and Golden Delicious. The fruit has a crisp, juicy and crunchy texture, with a mild sweet/tart flavour.
Harvested in the middle of October.
Fuji
Developed in Morioka, Japan in the 1930s. Fuji is a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Genet. Densley textured with a deliciously sweet flavour.
Harvested in the middle of October.
Delbar Estival
Outstanding sweet Delcorf and Akane , bred in France by Delbard nurseries. The fruit is slightly tart in flavour with the texture being crisp, crunchy and juicy.
Harvested middle to late August.
Early Windsor
Developed in Germany in the 1930s, but not released to the market until 1972. Initially this variety was launched under the name of Alkmere. In the early 1900s the variety was re-named as Early Windsor for the purpose of the UK market appeal. The variety is cross between Cox and Duchess of Oldenburg, with a rich tangy flavour and crisp, juicy flavour.
Harvested at the end of August.
