We were sad to learn that since the 1950s over half of English orchards have been abandoned by British producers, as cheaper imports filled our shops based solely on price.  Whilst many orchards have been pulled up, things may be changing due to an unexpected twist.  Brexit has changed may aspects of food production, raising concerns over access to seasonal workers, but also refocussing shoppers on homegrown products rather than relying on imports.

There are a phenomenal number of apple varieties in Britain, 2,200 plus in fact!  Yet just two varieties – Gala and Braeburn – account for almost half of all sales across UK outlets.  Supermarkets are the dominant place of sale with about 85% market share. The focus appears to be more about shelf life and appearance rather than flavour and taste, which means they have lost sight of seasonality with more focus on strict size, colour and surface characteristics. 

At trove we champion the astonishing range of apples and we encourage consumers to embrace the scrumptious varieties on our doorstep.  Let’s not shy away from the imperfections of our glorious fruits but embrace their unique differences and get ready to explode our taste buds!  As the age old saying goes: “variety is the spice of life”, so let’s start with a humble apple…