An Apple A Day

Crunchy, luscious, zesty, aromatic, piquant or sweet, apples come in a wide array of different flavours and textures that, with the revival of heritage varieties, are being rediscovered. ‘There is so much diversity amongst our native apples that it makes the supermarket’s narrow selection of commercially grown varieties seem very bland, especially when there are so many other apples, all with different textures and flavour,’ says Jim Arbury, fruit and trials specialist at RHS Garden Wisley. Having specialized in fruit for three decades and more, Jim is more qualified than most to know his apples, and is delighted to see the resurgence of interest in scrumptious native apples. And, whilst two out of every three apples sold in the UK are imported, British apples are slowly gaining market share.