Rubens Apple has won the Britain’s Tastiest Apple competition for the second consecutive year at the National Fruit Show.
The Rubens apple is grown exclusively in Kent and three growers were rewarded in the competition to find Britain’s tastiest apple in a clean sweep for the apple gaining 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spots in the competition.
First place went to Nigel Bardsley from River Farm in Staplehhurst. He was one of the first growers to bring the Ruben’s apple into Britain after tasting the apple at a trade fair in Italy.
Second place went to Rubens grower Clive Gotham of AC Gotham in Sittingbourne, while Simon Mount from Stourmouth, also one of the early growers of Rubens apples, made it a 1,2,3 for the apple which is now officially Britain’s Tastiest Apple for 2011.
Five judges including Adrian Barlow, CEO of English Apples & Pears, presided over the competition. The three selected Rubens apples in the Tastiest Apple competition had to rise above the 150 samples of different varieties of apples in the competition.
More success for the apple went to Bob Thompson from Chainhurst, near Marden. He won the Ruben’s class award after entering the show for the first time. He scooped the trophy and a night at the Rubens Hotel in London for his reward.
Michael Joyles from Rubens marketing company, Norman Collett, said: “It is an outstanding result to claim the first 3 places for this Kent grown apple when the competition was so fierce. British apples are on a true resurgence in the UK and the quality of apples makes each grower raise their game.
"So to claim the first three places is an astounding achievement and reflect the quality of Kent and British apple growers.”
No comments yet