Apple variety is credited with reinvigorating orchards and offering consumers more choice
British Jazz apple growers have come together to celebrate 20 years of growing the branded variety.
At an event attended by brand ambassador and Olympian Jazmin Sawyers, the get-together marked the start of a year-long celebration honouring the people behind the success of British Jazz apples.
Production began in 2005 with a planting of 200,000 trees, and the variety has since gone on to become the fifth-largest apple variety in the UK. It is now cultivated by 27 growers across Kent, Norfolk, Essex, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, with over one million trees nationwide.
British Jazz apples are credited with broadening the choice for UK shoppers and extending the domestic apple season, with availability from November through to July. Their distinctive tangy-sweet pear-drop flavour, crisp bite, and juiciness have helped British apples disrupt the market and offer a premium variety.
A consistent performer at the National Fruit Show, Jazz has claimed the ‘UK’s Tastiest Apple’ title eitght times.
“It’s been a phenomenal 20 years for British Jazz, which has delivered a truly unique apple, with its tangy sweet and ‘Always Refreshing’ flavour,” said Worldwide Fruit’s commercial director Hannah McIlfatrick. ”It’s a testament to the passion, skill and foresight of our incredible growers and a catalyst for higher standards, innovation and continuous improvement across British orchards.”
Jazz has been backed by a strong marketing and PR campaign, while the Jazz Foundation has donated over £50,000 to individuals, youth groups, schools, and sports clubs.
The brand’s active presence at major events – from the BBC Good Food Show and Taste of London to The Big Feastival – has kept the variety front of mind for food lovers and helped build its fanbase.
Good for Growers
Jazz is credited with reinvigorating orchards, driving investment, and providing a lifeline for growers during challenging economic periods, sparking renewed interest in British apples and paving the way for other new varieties.
Grower Robert Hinge, who hosted the Orchard Birthday Banquet in Sittingbourne, Kent, reflected: “In 2004, a hailstorm devastated my crop and my income was in tatters. Worldwide Fruit gave me a lifeline with the chance to trial new varieties. When I first tasted one, I was blown away, and I knew I had to grow it.
”Twenty years on, the Jazz effect has completely transformed British orchards and given growers a renewed sense of purpose and pride.”
To mark the 20-year milestone, British Jazz will launch a special anniversary recipe book and appear at both the BBC Good Food Show and the National Fruit Show.
