Consumers in the UK are at last able to purchase homegrown apricots, which are currently being cultivated in the southeast English county of Kent and have reached commercial volumes for this first time this year.
The apricots are now on sale at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose supermarkets, according to Danny Francis of AG Thames, which holds the marketing rights for the apricots.
The five-week season, which began with the Tomcot variety, is now halfway through, according to Mr Francis, with the Flavourcot variety preparing to take over.
“They are complementary varieties,” Mr Francis told Fruitnet.com, “with no gap in between. Both have been grown in France for over 20 years by Cot International, and trials have been ongoing in the UK since the early ‘90s, so it’s great to finally see fruit.”
The reaction from UK consumers is expected to be good, with demand for local produce increasing. “There is a definite shift to homegrown produce at the moment,” said Mr Francis, “and we have responded to that shift.”
In addition to their sale in UK supermarkets, the apricots will also be making an appearance in dishes at Le Gavroche, the London restaurant of two-star Michelin Guide chef Michel Roux Junior.The fruit will also be used in the Roux family’s other London-based restaurants.
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