Its mid November, the weather is dull and dreary....and ....Christmas is less than six weeks away....
With the UK season now well established, The English Apple Man looks at what Apples & Pears Supermarkets have on offer!
This week visits to LIDL, Sainsburys, M&S and Tesco - next week - ALDI, Morrisons, ASDA & Waitrose
First stop was LIDL in Hastings East Sussex - LIDL are very good at supporting British meat producers; there is always a wide range of Beef, Lamb, Pork and Chicken...........however I am yet to be convinced of their support for 'home produced apples & pears.
Yesterday - Thursday 12th November I could only find 'home grown' polybag Cox apples @ £1.49kg and polybag Conference pears @ £1.29kg. Everything else on offer was imported; from Italy - Abate Fetel pears @ £1.60kg, 'fun size' Rocha pears from Portugal @ £1.19 for 770g, Italian Gala @ £1.15 for 800g, also from Italy Granny Smith @ £1.80kg, loose Golden Delicious @ £1.79kg and loose Gala @ £1.74kg. From conversations with English growers, the return per kg is often better than for the major Supermarkets, however it is hard to understand (other than retail price) the need for stocking imported Gala when UK Gala is plentiful and superior in taste!
Sainsburys Hastings
Visiting Sainsburys in Hastings East Sussex yesterday, I was impressed with the display - 57 units of apples & pears with 32 home grown.
I bought 'loose' English Cox @ £1.85kg, Gala @ £1.85kg and Braeburn @ £1.85kg - this was my first 'sighting' of English Braeburn, I am informed that Waitrose & M&S will be stocking English Braeburn by the end of end of next week and possibly Jazz as well.
English; Bramley @ £1.85kg - poly Bramley @ £1.50 x 4, 'Basics Jonagold' 80p and Jonagold x 5 @ £1 from my old friend David Budd - Fuji @ £1 x 7 apples from Victoria Fam Hadlow, polybag ZARI @ £1 x 5, 'flow wrap' ZARI @ £1.50 x 4, 'family pack' Gala @ £1.50 x 8, Cox @ £1 x 7 - English organic Falstaff from Nick Moor @ £2.50 x 5.
Pears: English Conference 'loose' @ £2kg, polybag Conference @ £1 x 4, 'basics' Comice @ 80p x 3. Loos Comice @ £2kg, Sweet Sensation @ £1.25kg.
Imported:
Pink Lady @ £3kg for loose fruit, Polybag Pink Lady @ £2.25 x 5, French Braeburn @ £1.50 x 5, loose @ £1.85kg, Jazz loose @ £2.50kg and polybag @ £1.90 x 6 apples or £1.75 x 4. Granny Smith @ £2kg. Organic Italian Gala @ £1.90 x 5, Organic French Dalinette @ £2.50 x 5.
Pears; Abate Fetel @ £2.25 x 4, Dutch 'ripe & ready' Conference, Packhams @ £1.50 x 6 from Portugal....
Below: English Gala - and - Braeburn bought in Sainsburys
Marks & Spencer - Bexhill East Sussex
I bought Norfolk Royal Russet apples @ £2 x 4, 'perfectly ripe' Delsavor pears from The Simpson family in Herefordshire @ £2 x 4, and loose Tree Ripe Cox @ £2.20kg.
M&S had a good display of apples & pears - predominately imported, but with loose English Gala @ £1.85kg, Cox x 4 packs @ £2.50 a pack, with options; 2 for£4 or 3 for £6, loose Conference pears @ £2.30kg, and English Bramley apples @ £1.85kg.
Imported apples & pears included; loose Italian Braeburn @ £2kg, loose Pink Lady @ £3.80kg, imported French Jazz were on a similar price offer as Cox; e.g. £2.50 a 4 pack, with options; 2 for£4 or 3 for £6.
Pink Lady commands a high price; £2.80 x 4 pack, but with options - 2 for£4 or 3 for £6. polybag French Jazz @ £2 x 9, Organic Gala @ £3 x 6, 'perfectly ripe' Rocha pears from Portugal @ £2.50 x 4, Italian Williams pears @ £3 x 4,
Below: M&S perfectly ripe Delsavor pears - and - M&S Tree Ripe Cox
Tesco Hastings East Sussex
The Apple & Pear display at Tesco was excellent; I have sometimes in past years been disappointed with Tesco's display, but this was 'as good as it gets' - with 62 units on display of which 28 were home grown apples or pears.
English apples & pears featured; poly Cox @ £1.50 x 7, Egremont Russet @ £2 x 6, polybag 'small' Cox @ £1 x 6 (520g) , Gala 69p x 5 (670g), Red Windsor @ £1.50 x 6 (670g), Opal apples @ £2 x 4 from John Portass in Wisbech, Bramley @ £1.50 x 4 (775g) loose Cox @ £2kg, loose Gala @ £2kg, loose Bramley @ £1.60kg,- loose Comice pears @ £2kg, polybag Conference @ £1.50 (610g), polybag Concorde @ £1.50 x (610g), Organic Santana @ £2 (550-630g) polybag,
Santana is an apple that offers consumers with a 'mild apple allergy' the chance to enjoy an apple - "it should be stated that it is wise for those with an apple allergy to check they are only mildly allergic to apples"
Imported:
French Breaburn @ "1.50 x 6, Rubens @ £2 x 6, USA Empire apples @ 2.25 x 6, French Golden Delicious @ £1.50kg, Pink lady @ £3.25kg, Pink Lady @ £2.25 x 4 (590g), Granny Smith @ £2kg, Jazz @ £2 x 6 (670g), organic Braeburn from Slovakia @ £2 or 2 for £3, organic Austrian Braeburn @ £1.50 x 6 (420g).
The English Apple Man was surprised to find Dutch Rubens rather than 'home grown' English Rubens
Below: Tesco Red Windsor - and - Dutch Rubens
Tasting notes; as one would expect at this stage of the season, all fruit eats well, however of the fruit tasted, I would put Sainsburys Gala 'fractionally ahead of M&S Gala as my 'number one' - I enjoyed the 'perfectly ripe' Delsavor Pear from M&S (its not to dissimilar to a ripe Conference) - the English Braeburn from Sainsburys was very firm; perfect if you like a hard apple - the Cox from Sainsburys and M&S were both very good with little to choose between either - the Norfolk Royal Russet has excellent flavour, but beginning to lose its texture - the Dutch Rubens was crisp and tasty, but I am sure the English Rubens will be even better - "by the time I had finished tasting my purchases, the 'lump' of Cheddar Cheese was competing for my flavour buds preference.........
The English Apple Man was delighted with Sainsburys, Tesco and M&S selection and presentation of English Apples & Pears - next week I will visit the remaining leading Supermarket chains....
PS: Last weekend my wife & I joined very close friends for a memorable evening at The Mermaid Inn in Rye East Sussex as we celebrated at our friend's 70th Birthday Party - Click to view The Mermaid Inn at Rye in East Sussex
Take care
The English Apple Man