Egremont Russet sales are set to extend to the end of January, as the traditional home-grown variety continues to maintain its position on shelf.

There are still 2,500 tonnes of the 5,000t crop to sell, according to English Apples & Pears figures, and while last year the variety was clear before Christmas, this season it will stretch well into the New Year.

Adrian Barlow, chief executive of EAP, has nevertheless reiterated a previous warning that the niche variety does not have a divine right to its place in the product mix.

“It is a niche variety, and it is always going to be,” he said. “There is an upsurge in demand for traditional and local supplies, but our future is not in the development of heritage apples. There is a place for varieties like Egremont, however. The key is to ensure that product is of the right quality, has the desired amount of russet and above all, is marketed correctly.”

Too often in the past, he said, the variety has been lumped in with other English dessert apples, without enough effort to distinguish it for its prevailing attributes. “It needs to be spelt out to consumers,” said Barlow.

He added that the scale of demand should be kept in perspective by growers. “It is far too easy to overstate the demand that might be out there. The Egremont Russet niche is a good little market, and supplies need to reflect that.”

• Meanwhile, the first commercial volumes of English Jazz are in the marketplace now, and the variety will be given some impetus by an appearance on the Worldwide Fruit stand at the BBC Good Food Show, at the NEC in Birmingham, which started this Wednesday and continues until December 2.

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