Cameo makes mark at Tesco

As the marketing season for UK Cameo comes to a close, Tesco has heaped praise on the 2006 crop of the burgeoning club apple.

The UK’s leading multiple has sold nearly 40 per cent of this year’s marketed crop of just over 600 tonnes, as the variety continues its rise up the volume ladder.

Tesco top-fruit technologist Shaun Doherty told FPJ: “UK Cameo has performed well for Tesco during this northern hemisphere season. We have almost doubled sales from 137t last year to 253t this, but sold the fruit in half the time.

“The reasons for the growth of this developing variety are a combination of Tesco’s desire and commitment to sell UK apples and the great work done by Norman Collett and Cameo growers with regard to orchard management and quality control in the packing station. Such management gives the customer a consistently coloured Cameo that delivers a sweet, crisp experience even at this late stage in the UK season.”

Tesco’s decision to incorporate the Union Jack logo on the variety for the first time also helped develop its popularity with consumers, Doherty said.

Andy Sadler, managing director of Norman Collett, the exclusive marketing desk for Cameo in the UK, said: “With more than 100,000 trees now planted in the UK, the next few years will see Cameo move into peak production. The exposure for Cameo will therefore be significantly widened through the introduction of more consumers to this up-and-coming apple.”