The UK’s favourite cooking apple once again captured the headlines as Bramley Apple Week took centre stage. This year’s event was devoted to family values and healthy meal times and ran from February 6-11.
“We think the 2006 campaign is going to be even more successful than the one last year,” says Ian Mitchell, chairman of the Bramley Campaign Group, pictured. “We feel we’re getting the right messages across. Bramley is the apple that consumers want, it’s the best.”
Bramley accounts for about 95 per cent of all cooking apples sold and, over the years, the Bramley Apple Campaign has captured strong support, stretching far and wide.
“Fruitlink is a supporter of the Bramley Apple Campaign as the publicity raises the profile of Bramleys in consumers’ minds and will help drive demand for the product,” says John Portass, grower and director of Fruitlink.
“From our side we believe that it is vitally important to keep Bramley apples in the consumers’ eye,” agrees Steve Maxwell of Worldwide Fruit. “When stimulated to buy Bramley, shoppers are never disappointed because they truly are the best cooking apples in the world. The work of the Bramley Campaign is key to promoting how versatile and tasty Bramley apples are.”
This year, Sainsbury’s supported Bramley Apple Week with a 50 per cent extra free offer on its Bramley tray pack, notes Neil Gibson, apples and pears buyer.
The retailer is also running a recipe competition asking customers to send in their favourite Bramley apple recipe. This will be judged by Jamie Oliver and the main winner will receive a £500 holiday voucher and their recipe published on the pack.
The four runners up will have their recipes published on packs over the coming year. “We are hoping to see some truly original ways of cooking with Bramley - it is after all the most versatile cooking apple there is,” Gibson says.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears notes that the UK is the only country which grows apples specially designed for cooking and believes Bramley’s unique qualities give it an edge. “Bramley has an extraordinary ability to retain flavour throughout the cooking process and has a light airy texture,” he says.
As part of Bramley Apple Week, the Bramley Campaign has developed a new recipe booklet “Fresh Ideas with Bramley” to encourage families, young adults and children to get back in the kitchen and spend more time together.
This booklet will be filled with easy, simple to cook recipes, and marketers are confident this will find favour among consumers.
Research commissioned by the Bramley Campaign has shown a decline in family traditions, with less than a third of British families sharing mealtimes and only three per cent cooking together.
According to the research, commuting, housework and watching TV have all taken their toll on family meal times.
While we may be staying out of our kitchens, that is not to say we do not enjoy a well cooked meal. A roast dinner followed by a traditional British pudding was voted by families as their most favourite shared meal. A third of those polled voted for British classics such as apple pie and crumble as their favourite desserts.
Barlow believes the Bramley Campaign has been successful in maximising sales at a time when we are spending less time in the kitchen. “Social trends over the last 20 years have meant we’re enjoying less family meals,” he says. “There’s been a move away from pudding consumption towards healthier eating but also an increase in convenience foods and more eating out at restaurants. Despite these trends, we’ve seen steady Bramley sales over the past few years.”
Other Bramley Apple Week activities included a chef’s table. At this event, well-known food writers were given the opportunity to sample a large number of different dishes containing Bramley apples.
Following on from last year’s success, the Bramley Campaign is once again running the Bramley Family of the Year competition. Last year, the Doyle family from Woodbury beat off 100 other families to become the Bramley Family of 2005.
Bramley Apples launched the national search with the Daily Mirror to find a caring modern family that cooks with good ingredients and eats together at meal times.
Boosting the profile of Bramley apples is a priority but supporters are also keen to talk hard facts to emphasise Bramley’s long-lasting popularity.
“Demand for Bramley apples is strong, totalling some 90-95,000 tonnes,” Barlow says. “Of this amount, 25,000 tonnes is sold on the fresh market.”
Multiples account for 75-80 per cent of fresh sales, with the remainder sold via wholesalers, independent retailers, convenience stores and markets.
The majority of Bramley apples are grown in Kent, East Anglia, the West Midlands and in Northern Ireland.
Fruitlink notes that this year’s Bramley crop is of a similar volume to 2005, although there’s been less production from Northern Ireland, which has predominantly supplied the processing industry. “This reduction in the availability for processing has meant there has not been overt pressure on processing prices this season,” says Portass.
“Production is matching supply relatively closely, with no need for growers to push product onto the market. Our retail customers, supplied through Empire World Trade, appear to be increasing their sales of Bramley.”
Barlow has also noted a recent return to level sales. “Obviously, sales vary from year-to-year depending on the availability of volumes but over the last two years, it’s been stable,” he says.
Portass believes that change is afoot and the declining fresh market that growers have been experiencing for the last decade may finally be coming to an end. “There is an added air of optimism for Bramley, with new plantings currently taking place,” he says.
Bramley apples are picked from late July to September and price rises are expected as the season draws to end. However, growers note stocks should last through to the new season.
“The newly-opened stores of early-picked fruit are looking good, with no quality issues currently in evidence,” Portass adds.
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