Budgens launched its autumn campaign for seasonal British food last week, with the arrival of English apples and pears in store.
Fifty school children descended on a Budgens store in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on Friday to see a local grower deliver English Cox apples and Comice pears into the store on his tractor.
David Wheeler, farm manager at Wisbech-based producer Alan Hudson Ltd, which supplies Budgens with top fruit, pulled up outside the store, greeted by gasps and cheers from the kids.
The six-year-olds were given the opportunity to learn about how top fruit is grown with Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears, and taste a range of UK varieties, as well as Bramley apple pie, with Adam Beba, senior trading executive at supplier IVG White (Sales) Ltd.
All the children were able to correctly identify that apples grow on trees.
Barlow told the children: “English apples are better than fruit you get from overseas because of their flavour and taste. We have a climate that is well suited to apple growing - it’s not too hot and there is plenty of rain - and you don’t get the same taste anywhere else in the world.”
He talked the children through the growing process, from planting the seed to harvesting the crop in September.
The pupils were allowed to hand-pick an apple from the wooden crates on the tractor, and given a recipe card to show their parents.
Ross Halliday, acting marking director at Budgens, said: “Autumn is a key time for Budgens, particularly this year with our continued sponsorship of British Food Fortnight, our big push on English apples and pears, and the final phase of Our Kitchen. Throughout the season, we will continue to champion the best of British and traditional cooking by offering our customers quality and great value deals on home-grown seasonal produce.”
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