Grower Alan Firmin Limited scooped the Fruiterers Company Medal for the Best Exhibit of Dessert Apples at the National Fruit Show last week.
The farm’s entry of Queen Cox apples scored 99 out of 100 across a range of six categories - freedom from disease and pests, freedom from bruising and other damage, internal condition, skin quality, uniformity of colour and uniformity of size.
Pairs of judges from across the top-fruit industry, ranging from scientists, retired growers and representatives of marketing desks to specialists from food advisory personnel, assessed more than 150 top-fruit entries across the six categories.
Other winners included Bramley apples grown by Paramour Farm, which scooped the Podger Norton Trophy for the Best Exhibit of Culinary Apples.
And Conference pears produced on Felderland Farm, part of Highland Court Farm, scooped the Bayer Rose Bowl for the Best Exhibit of Pears.
Jeremy Scott, chairman of the Marden Fruit Show Society, which organised the event, told FPJ: “We were slightly worried about the fruit’s condition after a damp summer, but the sun came out at the right time and enabled people to harvest.
“The quality of these entries year after year is consistently high and judging can be very, very difficult. Sometimes only a quarter of a point will distinguish between one entry and the next.”
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