Kent's reputation for top quality apples and pears has been recognised for centuries with the Uk’s most famous varieties remaining Cox and Bramley.

But while these continue to enjoy a unique position, they are nevertheless being challenged as tastes change, according to Andy Sadler, managing director of Norman Collett Ltd. It one of the largest marketing desks in the industry supplying Tesco, Somerfield, the Co-op , Booths  as well as the traditional wholesale markets.

The company was established in 1977 and has always been based in Paddock Wood serving the fruit growers of Kent.  Several growers have their own packhouses and they share facilities as well as storage to ensure fruit is available from October until April. This season Colletts are expecting to market about a quarter of the British apple and pear crop of around  30,000 tonnes

The one element which has maintained the high level of confidence in the future has been the collective response to successfully broaden consumer choice.

"In the last decade international varieties led by Gala, and followed by Braeburn were planted and are now fully commercial," explains Andy Sadler.

Now his preoccupation is to discover and select the most suitable next generation of fruit to maintain the momentum.

Some winners such as Cameo, a cross between Red and Golden Delicious are already established with over 1,000 tonnes harvested this year. Another which shows great promise is Rubens; Rubens is only grown in Kent by 7 specially selected farms and will be available for the first time in 2008.  It has been honoured with it’s own class at the National Fruit show, a prize which is expected to be hotly contested by the select few! Rubens are a real discovery for the UK consumer – this is a totally new apple, bursting with flavour and exclusive to Kent.

Such arrangements are now part of apple production and marketing providing some level of protection for what can be a long term and costly investment for the grower.  For example, over 100,000 Young Rubens trees have been planted but will not be in commercial volume for another three years .

In turn they have already been followed by Modi, a glossy red apple which is already performing well in trials; it’s great tasting, good looking and will also be available as an organic apple.

Beni Shogun is high quality English Fuji apple showing all the desirable traits of the foreign apple – great sweetness, gentle colouring and juicy cream flesh. There  is even a clone of Pink Lady, the Australian bred variety which has reached international fame, but has yet to be grown successfully in the UK because of the difference in climate. And for something completely different there is a red pear under trial called Carmen.

"Today fruit production has to change very fast to meet demand. It has become a continuous process of evaluation" explains Sadler.

"We are fortunate that our selection programmes are jointly carried out by our own experts and some of the best and most enthusiastic growers in the industry. 

"If proof were needed many are regular winners in the highly competitive orchard trials held in the county and at the forthcoming National Fruit Show, regarded as the apex of success"