A national newspaper said it was cooler than Pamela Anderson…and demand is so high it could prove the season’s big sell out.
Welcome to the trendiest new kid on the block – the rosy-red Rubens apple.
The new apple grown in the county is proving such a hit among the fashion forward and environmentally conscious, it was recognised in the Sunday Times’ Style magazine last week.
It appeared in its ‘going up’ list - a favourite trend-o-meter among the nation’s fashionistas.
Remarkably it figured higher than former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson’s decision to appear in pantomime this season as a bigger hit on the ‘what’s in’ radar.
Sarah Calcutt, business development manager at Paddock Wood-based fruit marketing company Norman Collett, said: “We have nine growers in Kent who have been specifically selected to become an approved grower because they meet the correct conditions and environmental criteria.”
So why does she think Rubens, the Latin term meaning red, should be a hit this season.
“They are really good,” she said. “When you are growing fruit you find such a lot of very cheap fruit coming from abroad so it is good to have variety.
“We advise our growers to grow something new and this is a very beautiful, good quality apple and if you grow it properly you will get 90 per cent class one.”
Ms Calcutt said it was rare to get a completely new fruit to the UK, she said: “It is sweet and crunchy which will appeal to a young, modern palette. It is good for the growers and very light on the environment.”
And Nigel Jenner, technical director of Norman Collett and the son of Ken Jenner who has a fruit farm in Marden which is growing the hit fruit, believes it will prove so popular over the coming weeks it could be a sell-out.
He said: “What is really exciting about Rubens is it has unbelievable flavor and it has got incredible shelf life.
“I do think supplies could run out if it continues to be so in demand. The orchards are all relatively new so I do think there is a danger that could happen. More planting will be done this year but it takes four to five years for orchards to reach full crop potential.”
POSTED: 31/10/2009 16:00:00
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