Apple producers look forward to second season

Norman Collett Ltd, a leading supplier of English fruit to UK multiples, is to launch the second season of Rubens, its new premium apple variety. Rubens will be available at Tesco, Co-op, Booths from October onwards.

The Rubens apple has a medium sweet taste and a unique crunchy texture that causes the flesh to ’fracture’ into perfect bite-size chunks. The flavour is a classic apple tang with a hint of melon.

2008 was the variety’s debut season, making it the first new apple variety to be introduced to the UK since 2000. Norman Collett Ltd retains exclusive rights to market Rubens in the United Kingdom by brand owner C.I.V. (Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti).

Sarah Calcutt, Business Development Manager at Norman Collett Ltd, commented; "Rubens exceeded our expectations in its first year and we have increased production to over three million English Rubens apples for this season’s crop, up from 800,000 in 2008. The unique flavour and crunch is exactly what British consumers want – as well as being grown in Kent, thereby keeping the food miles down - and we believe that 2009 will be another great year for Rubens."

Grown exclusively in Kent, Rubens growers have been chosen via a careful evaluation of good farming practices with strong eco and community credentials. All farms are accredited under the UK ’Little Red Tractor’ assurance scheme – a guarantee of high quality, safe British food.

155,000 Rubens trees have been planted to date with another 70,000 due to be planted in the next 2 years. A full crop of 1500 tonnes (5000 bins) is expected by 2012.