19-March-2010

Where are all our English apples?

Leave a comment

Related Gripes

Random Gripe

Gripes by email

The English summer has come to an end (yes that was it!), and it is autumn again. Apple trees everywhere are groaning under the weight of countless native varieties of delicious, ripe fruit all out there just ready for picking…

Okay, this might be so, but why are Tesco stores and all the other supermarkets for that matter full of New Zealand Braeburn and Royal Gala, French Golden Delicious, Australian Pink Lady, American Empire and Spartan and Dutch Elstar.

But what about English apples? Has our taste for foreign fruit become so deep rooted that we are unable to see that low hanging fruit on our local the trees? I think it is such a shame that we don’t see more produce from our local orchards.

I know many of our lovely English apples are not considered commercially viable by corporate monsters such as Tesco and Sainsbury; however I must say that I have noticed that they occasionally sell a mere handful of native varieties - when in season of course.

So where are the Discoveries, Cox's, Worcester Pearmains and Laxtons? We have a wonderful selection of apples grown right here in this country, surely it makes good economic sense to stand behind our home grown produce.

By: Pazza

More sites about English Apples

Ronnie Appleseed - An excellent site with a wealth of information and images of English Apples.

England's food renaissance - An interesting article on BBC Food, the highlight of which was the statement 'Almost two-thirds of consumers mistakenly believe that Granny Smith apples (originally from Australia) are English apples.'

Other Related Gripes

Strawberry jam not like it used to be
Bad onions from the corner shop
The French and their food
Unable to buy White Stilton cheese
No need for plastic palm trees
Why are English people so cold?
Not enough local food shopping
Empty shelves at Tesco
People standing in the way
English football hooligans
Plastic packaging and tins half full
Shopping trolley left in the car park
Call centre outsourced to India
UK fishing industry almost destroyed
Time we withdrew from The European Union

http://www.allaboutapples.com/varieties/

Go there for full details of all the apples there are.

Most apple varieties don't have a terribly long history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_apple_cultivars

Wr 10-Jan-2010 09:30

Please visit http://theenglishappleman.com for an informed understanding of English Apples and their availability.

The English Apple Man 09-Jan-2010 15:23

It seems that it is preferal to get them from abroad , it is probably not considered cool to get them on your own doorstep, and they would be healthier as they have not travelled halfway across the world!

Gix 11-Dec-2009 22:42

I'm going to guess that, like in the USA, New Zealand's produce is grown with no control over the amount of insecticide used, and the work is done by underpaid migrant labor.

My advice to you is to kick the corporations in the bum. If you have a garden, buy some native apple, pear, and damson plum trees. Trust me, it'll pay off. Your kids can sell the surplus door-to-door.

We had an apple and pear tree in the backyard. The apples always got wormy, but we'd just cut off the part with the worms and eat the rest (or make fruit salad).

Mr. Meanie 07-Dec-2009 05:13

Gosh Discoveries and Cox's I used to see around 10 years ago and you're right - now they're not there anymore. Not unless I go to a farmer's market, anyway. I'm only in my mid-twenties and
I can't believe this is going on in my lifetime.
It's funny that while we lose our native varieties the french, german markets are still booming with theirs..

feckless wreck 10-Nov-2009 12:26

It's cheaper and more greener to ship apples to London from the Cape of Good Hope than to send them by lorry from the Vale of Evesham. Besides British Farmers are greedy and want their so-called "organic" mark-up. This makes home-grown produce outrageously expensive.

Let the GM crops flood the country

GM will Save the World 05-Sep-2009 08:37

Does anyone know whether the James Grieve apple still exists and if so where it is available? Please let me know at robingb@btinternet.com and many thanks.

Robin Baiden 05-Sep-2009 07:48

Get produce from local farms and in the process, get those lorries off the roads

F Giles esq 10-May-2009 14:59

I've always preferred English Apples to the foreign varieties anyway. In fact if possible I buy UK produce instead of stuff that's imported. We should really be doing this anyway and if possible supporting our local economies.

James 10-Jul-2008 11:20

this story might interest you about innocent smoothies and their decision to choose strawberries
from elsewhere in europe rather than from the UK

http://brightonthemoney.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/innocent-of-what/

major 22-Oct-2007 15:11

I absolutely agree with you.

I noticed Tesco had apples from Chile New Zealand and Argentinia, but none from England apart from Bramley cooking apples which are all very fine but not much use if you want to eat an apple raw.

Similarly no English pears.

I asked in the store why no English Apples.
(1) I don't know
(2) It is an EEC regulation they can't pick the English apples until 21st August
(Surely not: Isn't that about shooting grouse...?)

Save C02 and support British apples. There are loads on my tree!

Jonathan 17-Aug-2007 00:09

get a life and spend your time sorting out your rubish problems rather than complaining about them!! looosers

nick iles 29-Jan-2007 15:02

View more comments on this gripe

Where are all our English apples?

More sites about English Apples

Other Related Gripes

Visitor Comments