English apple season now underway

The English apple season has officially launched this week, with the arrival of the major UK varieties in retailers over a week earlier than last year.However, despite reports of soaring demands came the slightly more bewildering news that many consumers are confused about which varieties are actually British.A survey found that whilst 70 percent of the population actively seek out English Apples when they are in season, around 40 percent don’t know when the season begins, and 76 percent believe Granny Smith are English when, in fact, they are imported.50 percent of the respondents said that they prefer to buy English apples because they taste better, and because they want to support local suppliers, thus helping to reduce their carbon footprint.Consumers frequently walk away with imported varieties such as Granny Smith because they are confused by the name, or just don’t know how to recognise an English apple. There is also confusion over Braeburn and Gala, because imported versions of the varieties are also on sale during the season.Adrian Barlow, English Apples and Pears’ chief executive, said: “To ensure they are buying British, consumers should look for the Union Jack label on individual apples of the Union Jack logo on bags of apples.”