PINK ENGLISH APPLE 'WITHIN FIVE YEARS'

There will be an English-grown pink apple within the next five years, English Apples & Pears CEO Adrian Barlow has predicted.

Speaking at Fruit Logistica in Berlin last week, Barlow said the success of Pink Lady showed the consumer appetite for pink apples.

'There are a number of companies trying to develop a pink apple,' he said. 'I would be very surprised if there aren't pink English apples in five years and in stores in seven to eight years.' Barlow described the potential development of an English pink apple as 'a great opportunity'.

FL IN FIGURES

More than 58,000 visitors from 130 countries visited Fruit Logistica in Berlin this year, official figures show. Around 80 per cent came from outside Germany, with visitors including 12 ministers of agriculture and 750 representatives of the media.

US SHOWS ITS LOVE FOR BEETS

The American arm of G's Fresh Beetroot business launched its latest product last week in selected US-based Whole Foods supermarkets.

The Love Beets brand has added a juice to its range of flavoured beetroot products. The juice is available in original flavour and cherry berry and beetroot.

Retailing at $3 per bottle, the juices are on a limited-edition run for this month, with the company assessing sales before going ahead with another pressing.

A G's Fresh spokesman, speaking at Fruit Logistica, said the business was taking its knowledge of cooking beetroot and using it to offer something new to the American juice market.

SCOTT FARMS' PREMIUM PUSH

Sweet potato producer Scott Farms International unveiled more plans for its new range of premium-end sweet potato crisps, which are soon to be soft launched into selected independent retailers.

Scott Farms CEO Stan Smith said: 'The chips will be the first-ever sweet potato snack in the UK market and we have meetings lined up with interested major retailers.

'I think there is fantastic potential and I expect positive growth in sales in the next few years as there is nothing else like this in the snacks market.'

Smith praised the continuity of Scott Farms' supply chain and believes that it ensures the group will have no issues with supply.

The firm also debuted its new Nash sweet potato variety, which is purple coloured and available nine to 12 months of the year, and served up sweet potato doughnuts, or 'Berliners', cooked by celebrity chef Felice Tocchini.

'Made with sweet potato, the doughnuts, filled with sweet potato jam, are another delicious way to enjoy this versatile vegetable – you can make soup, salad, cake, gnocchi, chips and even ice cream,' said chef Tocchini.

NEW PRODUCT FOCUS

More than a third of exhibitors at this year's show said that they presented innovations or enhancements to products.

DIFFERENTIATING BERRIES

As one of the main players in the UK soft-fruit market, Berry Gardens is gearing up for the summer season with ambitious growth plans.

'We are focusing on differentiating the year-round supply of blackberries,' said Nicholas Marston, managing director of Berry Gardens.

'Most retailers are now selling sweeter snacking varieties, like Karaka Black and Driscoll's Carmel. This is what we need if we are to increase consumption.'

The berry giant is also planting new sweet-eating Driscoll's varieties King George and Victoria, which will go out to consumers in 2014. 'They deliver all the eating qualities of Carmel with the advantage of better yields and more competitive costs, so I'm excited about their potential,' said Marston.

Berry Gardens holds about 65 per cent of the UK raspberry production and has a clear picture of where the market is heading. 'We are building up a year-round supply of Driscoll's varieties. Key are Maravilla and in the winter season Carmina.'

In the November-to-May period the company has increasing production in Spain and in the Agadir area of Morocco. 'Our long-term strategy in conjunction with our partner Driscoll's is that Morocco will be one of the principal sources of counter-season berry production for the northern European berry market because it offers good availability of land and water, labour and a high level of horticultural expertise,' explained Marston.

As for strawberries, Marston has equally high hopes. 'We are very excited by the ongoing growth in productions of Driscoll's varieties Magdalena as a top-tier strawberry and Lusa as a great-tasting replacement for widely grown varieties.' —