In a bid to bring some of England’s most historic apples back to life, Waitrose has embarked on a three-year planting programme at its Leckford Farm.
This will involve the cultivation of six historic varieties of apples, some of which have never been grown commercially in the UK before, to add to the retailers’ UK apple ranges.
The varieties were chosen with the help of the Royal Horticultural Society fruit team, selecting apples that would grow well, produce good crops and deliver a reliable, delicious harvest.
The varieties chosen - Ashmeads Kernel, Adams Pearmain, Pixie, Sunset, Chivers Delight and Kidd’s Orange Red - bear fruit throughout the season and, it is hoped, will guarantee a continual supply in selected stores, with 80 tonnes being produced at peak harvest.
The Ashmeads Kernel has a peardrop flavour and russet appearance; the late Adams Pearmain will occupy shelves from October to March; Sunset appears early in the season; Pixie shares many of the characteristics of a Cox apple; and the Chivers Delight apple is crisp and sweet.
The retailer is very confident about sales of Kidd’s Orange Red, which is available towards the end of the season and has an “attractive yellow, orange-red flush and marble appearance with a sweet, honey flavour and juicy crunch”.
The scheme, to which Leckford has committed 10 hectares of land, will help the retailer reach its target of sourcing 70 per cent of its apple stocks from the UK.
Tom Palmer, fruit specialist at Leckford, said: “We have taken expert advice to ensure that the varieties chosen are both sustainable and have wide appeal. It has been a long process and we are looking forward to seeing the fruits of our labour when we have the first, small harvest.”
Grown especially for Waitrose, the trees began life through grafting root stocks into budding wood - a laborious process that has involved horticultural specialists, including RHS Wisley.
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