Secret trials are taking place in Kent to assess whether UK growers will be able to produce pink apples to compete against imported Cripps Pink and the trademarked Pink Lady, which have taken UK retailers by storm over the last five years.
Dr Drew Reynolds, technical director of Worldwide Fruit has been working with Italian apple specialists, crossing and re-crossing different strains of Cripps Pink over the last four years.
A selection of what could be the most suitable varieties were planted in the UK last winter, and the first half dozen or so apples on the young trees are being evaluated.
Popular apple industry opinion is that Cripps Pink cannot be grown successfully in UK conditions. And because of the licensing stipulations, it remains unlikely that the consumer will be buying UK-grown Pink Lady. But Reynolds believes that the long-term focus is on finding new, home-grown varieties for the next decade, that can compete in their own right to win a regular place on the shelves, rather than filling in for imports for short periods.
“Pink apples are still a long way off, but we have made a start,” Reynolds told FPJ. “It’s early days to say whether our selection will become commercial but there is at least a 50-50 chance.
“A key element of the process is discovering the best-tasting strain, but we have also put some emphasis on finding an early-cropping apple, with scab resistance.”
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