The first deliveries of award-winning Cox apples from Andrew Boxall’s 130-acre Kent orchard arrived in Asda stores across the South East yesterday.
The fruit, which picked up the ‘Tastiest Apple Award’ at last year’s National Fruit Show, is looking good, according to Boxall. “These apples will be going in at perfect conditions,” he said. “The brix count is high and early tests are encouraging for the rest of the season, and with the English apple season running about seven to 10 days ahead of last year, we have started picking for long-term storage.”
Josh Kann, general manager for Well-Pict County Local, said: “The profile of English fruit is currently very high. Consumers are actively sourcing local products and are becoming more aware of seasonal varieties. With Asda fully supporting the English season, the public appetite for local, seasonal fruit can be satisfied.”
Jon Morgan, category manager for International Produce/Asda, added: “We are pleased to be able to offer Andrew Boxall’s award-winning Cox apples to our customers. Asda is totally committed to local sourcing and UK top fruit. We are working closely with our growers to obtain the best-quality fruit and the varieties that our customers want, rather than what we would like to sell, for as much profit as possible. This year we will make inroads into heritage and exclusive varieties, but we will only sell them if they are good enough. Our focus remains on quality and value.”
The low weald of Maidstone where Boxall’s farm is based is one of Kent’s major fruit belts, and still remains one of the most productive areas for Kentish orchards.
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