This year, the Bramley apple celebrates its 200th birthday. Still our major culinary variety and grown almost entirely in the UK and Northern Ireland, the fruit continues to stand the test of time as far as producers are concerned.

While approximately half of the crop is sold fresh, its value to the baking, food processing and juicing industries because of its quality, taste and texture is without question. This is exemplified by the fact that

on-pack identification of Bramley has come to stand for a high-quality product.

How large is the Bramley industry as a whole, and what proportion goes to the processing market?

The official figures from English Apples & Pears indicate that there are about 90,000 tonnes of Bramleys in the UK and Northern Ireland, with about 65,000t sold into the food processing industry. Just over half of the latter goes for processing, which covers slicing, dicing and pulp, while the remainder is split between the apple juice and cider industries.

Why has the variety been so successful?

That answer will vary according to who gives it. For the grower, it is a reliable culinary apple that grows well, with orchards lasting for many years without reducing volume. It also harvests a large percentage of quality fruit and stores over a long period, giving year-round continuity.

The question of taste is obviously paramount with the consumer, but the other factor is that it cooks exceedingly well. This quality is as equally applicable to a consumer preparing fresh fruit, or preparation of the fruit on a commercial scale.

If additional proof were needed, while there are other good-quality cookers grown in the UK, they have never reached the scale of Bramley.

It has also beaten off a variety of challengers, ranging from apples produced as far away as China and, in terms of a specific variety, Granny Smith, which was once believed to offer an alternative.

Are volumes of Bramleys stable, and where are the main orchards located?

Obviously there are seasonal crop variations, but in general terms statistics point to the level of production now being fairly constant, after a period of near recession in the 1990s.

Back then we saw some grubbing in the UK because of low prices over several seasons, mainly due, in my opinion, to competition from Northern Ireland with its lower costs, where growth was stimulated by a grant aid package.

The main UK production areas are centred in Kent, which is the largest Bramley region, followed by Wisbech and the West Midlands.

How do you see production in the future?

At present the industry feels confident, as supply and demand is more or less in a state of balance. Long may this continue.

The biggest stimulus that the Bramley industry has enjoyed was fairly recent, with the entry of Magners cider into the market. While the manufacturer is based in Ireland, the demand for fruit that the cider created meant that the Northern Irish crop found a buyer, and this in turn considerably strengthened the entire Bramley price structure - which was reflected in the UK market.

The real reason was that Magners successfully introduced a new branded product - backed by dynamic marketing, at no small promotional cost - into a traditional cider market that was in the doldrums. Overall consumption was increased, rather than simply being a battle to steal market share.

Subsequently, Bulmers responded. The effect, as far as I can judge, has continued to increase the buoyancy of total sales in a very competitive situation. In these terms, it is a very healthy position for Bramley growers.

Is the method of Bramley production changing?

It is obviously completely different since Bramley made its first appearance after being discovered in a garden at Southwell near Nottingham.

Rootstocks developed over the years, of which M9 and M26 are still the yardstick. Coupled with improved growing and storing technology, all contribute to delivering a fantastic-quality apple.

There will doubtless be further cultural improvements ahead and one example that we hope will literally bear fruit is Fourayes’ own three-acre intensively planted trial orchard. Hopefully, this will increase yields from an average of 14t up to as high as 20t in about four to five years. But we will have to wait and see.

How much fruit do you grow yourselves and what sort of total volume does the company handle?

We grow some 100a at Fourayes, which provides us annually with around 1,300t, and we have close relationships with many growers in the county and beyond who are either contracted or sell direct to us throughout the season. This accounts for a further 10,000t.

How do you buy the fruit and does the price vary?

We purchase Bramleys “at the foot of the ladder” in the open market, mainly from regular suppliers. We also have a number of growers under a fixed priced contract that was introduced in 2004, and also buy fruit from “off the grader” out of packhouses. Of course, we also buy stores of fruit throughout the season at the market rate.

Fruit is held in store, so the “season” can last for as long as 13 months.

What facilities do you have at Fourayes?

Over the last 10 years we have invested £2 million in buildings, plants and equipment, giving us the most advanced apple processing facility in the country.

We pride ourselves on our flexibility, which means we can meet any customer’s specifications for peeled, diced or sliced apple, using fruit of 70mm-115mm.

And it is not just a case of processing, for apart from ensuring high-quality standards backed by traceability right through the system, customers also have different requirements based on texture. This can range from fruit that is as hard as bullets to fruit that is soft. Pies, tarts, crumbles, turnovers and doughnuts all have different compositions.

Additionally, we have developed by-products such as apple purée, which is used by manufacturers as a filler or flavour enhancer, to the other end of the scale where there are very specific additional raw material combinations required to prepare mincemeat.

While the Bramley is a mainstay of the processing sector, how do you feel about the fruit losing its identity once it is transformed into a product?

Today this is not the case, although I would have agreed with you perhaps 10 years ago. Now, things have changed. Bramleys are now part of the description used on the packaging, as major manufacturers recognise its value because the variety is so well known and respected by the public.

We have even taken this concept further and have been able to encourage some of our customers to label our fruit as additionally coming from Kent - which is a tribute to our growers, as well as advancing the interest being shown in sourcing food locally.

What plans does Fourayes have for the future?

This will obviously depend on the profitability of our industry, but an indication of the confidence that we have can be seen with the completion of phase one of our development programme, where we have just invested £800,000 in a new on-site chilled storage area with three loading bays.

It has a racked-out section which is temperature controlled to handle all the ingredients that are needed to make up individual specifications for mincemeat, into which we successfully diversified four years ago. Top-quality mince pies contain 25 per cent Bramley apple. Our customers include Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

Phase two, planned for 2009, will see the fitting of new staff facilities on the upper floor.