Fruit tree specialist Will Sibley told a conference last week that England's newly established apricot crop has already carved itself out a niche market.
From small beginnings in Kent, followed by plantings in mid-Cambridgeshire, some 40 acres are now bearing fruit, Sibley told last week’s Novel Crops Conference at Eats Malling Research.
Sibley, who has been at the forefront of English apricot development during the last decade, said: "The fruit already has a long proven record with the retailers. Nine cultivars have been trialled with mixed success, but four - Tomcot, Perle Cot, Flavourcot and Bergecot have been found to be worthy of further plantings. It is hoped that this will further extend the marketing season by as much as two months."
While records reflect that these varieties produce lower yields when transplanted from the Rhône Valley, where French selection began, or New Zealand, the English crop has proved its worth with exceptional flavour, comparable brix levels and good colour, said Sibley, who added that skin finish in the home-grown crop is often not as clean.
They are harvested in the summer, with a seasonal spread between the third week of July and mid-to-late August, and poor weather caused havoc with the 2008 crop.
But the long-term prospects remain bright, and additional selections to extend the marketing period are under trial. They include Mangocot, Petite Muscat - which has already spurred the enthusiasm of Waitrose - Larclyd, Larqueen and Lilly Cot, Sibley said.
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