Rubens, the Italian bred Elstar/Gala cross which has been under trial for the last three years in Kent, will be harvested next week.
This spring the first 30,000 trees have been planted by members of the Mid Kent Growers group ,which market through Norman Collett. It follows the signing of an exclusive UK rights agreement by the marketing group last March with Italian breeders Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV). It will be followed by a further 70,000 to be planted in 2008.
Now there is sufficient English Rubens to provide enough volume following harvesting for Collett's to sample consumers, as well as introducing Rubens to both retailers and the media. This will also allow the company to build its own information bank regarding customer perceptions of the variety.
Information received is that the variety has performed well on the continent against Gala and Elstar. In Germany, Italy and Sweden it scored better in terms of taste, texture and juiciness.
"Grown on two year trees it will mean that there is full commercial bearing by 2011," said managing director Andy Sadler.
The impetus has come from the results which have already been achieved by two growers, Simon Mount at New Barn Farm, Stourmouth, and Nigel Bardsley at River Farm, Staplehurst, who have been in the vanguard from the time the variety showed promise. Each planted 50 trees - the first in the country - which are now three years old.
Nigel Bardsley first saw the variety at a fruit show in Italy and was so impressed with the large red apples that he brought home a tray. " It was in an apple club but had not been taken up in the UK," he explained.
The question was, would it perform as well this side of the Channel? "The answer is yes. Trials have shown me what I saw in the original box can be grown on our trees," he added.
Mount, who visited growers in Holland and Belgium who are also part of the Rubens trademark club, was also initially impressed with its texture and intense flavour.
"It is also as disease resistant as other modern varieties I grow, and I am confident it will produce around 90 percent Class I fruit in the 65mm plus size band," he explains.
"It fits neatly into the apple calendar as it will be more economically harvested after Gala and Cox, and is sold from store between November to March, so there is long availability at a time when consumers are looking for new tastes. It will also widen the selection that Collett's can offer retailers."
The proof of the pudding is that south of Canterbury at Howletts Farm, Shottenden, John Colthup has already staked out 13,000 trees on land which once grew hops. Next spring Mount takes delivery of 12,000 trees and will increase his orchard area.
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