London’s Borough Market has launched the first ‘real Apple store’ to celebrate the English apple season and mark its 1,000 year anniversary.
Showcased in the shiny, white modern setting of a typical Apple store, 1,000 of the oldest and rarest apple varieties are displayed on shelves and plinths, including the Ananas Reinette with its distinct pineapple flavour, the unattractive Knobby Russet and the Robston Pippin.
The world’s oldest known apple, Court Pendu Plat, introduced by the Romans and still grown today, has pride of place in a perspex box.
“This country’s love affair with the apple is no secret - we have been eating apples for centuries. However, there are some varieties under threat and we risk losing the diversity of this delicious fruit,” said David Matchett from Borough Market.
“The exhibition is not only a celebration of the British apple but a chance for us to raise the profile of these little-known varieties and campaign to save them.”
The seasonal English apple festival, held every year in the Green Market, brings growers, traders and consumers together to celebrate apples.A selection of limited edition apple-inspired produce and hot food is available including apple balsamic vinegar, apple tarts, brioches and loaves, crab apple preserves, apple cider chocolate truffles and chocolate-coated toffee apples.
