British apples are the best tasting in the world. And it’s all down to the mild climate. Regular rainfall helps to produce a juicy apple, cooler temperatures bring a crunchy texture and a dash of British sunshine develops that distinctive, delicious flavour.
With hundreds of varieties available, there’s a Great British apple to suit any taste. Our growers are also experts at cultivating the juiciest, sweetest and most luscious pears.
Not only do our growers produce delicious and sustainable apples and pears, but they also care for the environment, abide by rigorous health and safety standards and work ethically.
Our growers understand the importance of looking after the environment to protect it for future generations. Trees in our orchards remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to reduce some of the emissions that contribute to climate change.
All British apples and pears you find in a supermarket are accredited under the Red Tractor Scheme which has strict guidelines for members about issues like recycling and the safe disposal of waste. These strict environmental guidelines ensure that our crop grows sustainably, year after year and every grower is independently audited.
Technology also helps us care for the environment. Our modern packhouses and cold stores are designed to minimise the use of energy and water used in the grading processes is recycled.
The most modern orchard systems also use computers to monitor our trees so that we can deliver the exact amount of nutrients and water they need, virtually eliminating waste.
Read more about how our growers protect the environment
British apples and pears are grown under rigorous quality controls, reputed to be some of the world’s toughest.
Every British fruit farmer is accredited by the Red Tractor Scheme and we also work with the Ethical Trading Initiative team to ensure all our growers act responsibly. All advisors looking after British orchards are accredited under the BASIS and FACTS professional qualification schemes and we’re proud to say that we can trace our fruit from the moment it leaves the orchard, right to it appearing on supermarket shelves.
British apples and pears are picked by hand, carefully selected and checked. We then carefully check them again, inside and out, before they are dispatched to the shops, to make sure they are the best they can be.
Our packhouses are rigorously inspected every year by British Retail Consortium auditors to maintain high food safety standards.
Every farm adheres to strict health and safety protocols, protecting every person while they work.
British growers are equal opportunity employers, committed to fair pay for all.
Employees’ health, safety and well-being are of utmost importance to our members and full training and inductions are given to all staff, whether new starters or those returning to work for another season.
The harvest season usually runs from August until November and during this period, you will find people from all nationalities working together. As an industry, we work closely with approved labour providers and our growers are trained in ethical employment legislation and work to a strict non-discriminatory policy. The top fruit industry works closely with the Association of Labour Providers (ALP) and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) to ensure that our employees are protected and exploitation is prevented.
Furthermore, buying British apples and pears is beneficial for the UK’s balance of payments and the wider economy.
British Apples & Pears Ltd
BGA House, Nottingham Road, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 0WB, United Kingdom
© 2021 British Apples & Pears Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
