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BEYOND THE FRUIT BOWL:
20 YEARS OF BRITISH JAZZ™ APPLES
BY SOPHIE SHORTER
It’ s said an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what if those apples were JAZZ™- locally grown, globally revered and an eight-time winner of Britain’ s tastiest apple? Now celebrating 20 years of British growing and over 40 years since its origins, apples sit at the core of everything JAZZ™ does.
Originating in New Zealand in 1985, apple breeder Allan White of the Plant & Food Research Institute developed a new cultivar in collaboration with ENZA through the cross-breeding of Braeburn and Royal Gala apples in Hawke’ s Bay. First known as Scifresh, it is now recognised as the iconic JAZZ™ apple, ever-loved for its crisp texture, bold flavour and eco-conscious growing practices.
The blend of the parent apples results in a harmonious balance of sugary sweetness from the Royal Gala with an added acidic tang from Braeburn, with the JAZZ™ apple often described as having a subtle‘ peardrop’ note- perfect for snacking, baking, juicing and cooking, as well as for a tasty sweet but healthy treat for kids.
JAZZ™ apples were first planted in the UK in the mid-2000s, with early cultivation in the Garden of England around 2005, a region already well-recognised for its farming heritage. Kent growers at Monk’ s Farm and Clock House Farm planted their first commercial JAZZ™ trees in 2006, with their crops reaching local supermarkets the following year. As demand grew, production expanded nationally, with orchards across Kent, Norfolk, Essex, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, as well as internationally in France, Italy and Chile. Today, British plantations total around one million trees nationwide.
Now, 20 years on from its first planting in Kent, growers are celebrating the variety’ s continued success. JAZZ™ has been crowned the UK’ s Tastiest Apple for the eighth time- making it the most successful branded variety in the award’ s history- while also appearing at major food events including the Great Yorkshire Show and Farm Fest. A special anniversary recipe book will also mark the milestone, featuring dishes and drinks inspired by the apple’ s distinctive, award-winning flavour.
Alongside the commitment to growing exceptional apples, JAZZ™ is also dedicated to supporting people, groups and charitable endeavours that align with its values of encouraging healthy lifestyles, good nutrition and physical activity amongst younger communities. Established in 2014, the JAZZ™ Apple Foundation has already awarded £ 500,000 to causes including Little Miracles South Holland, local primary schools and colleges, children’ s charities and grassroots sports teams, helping inspire the next generation to enjoy apples, learn about fruit growing and adopt healthier lifestyles.
From their beginnings in New Zealand to orchards across Britain, JAZZ™ apples have grown into the UK’ s fifth largest apple variety, a widely recognisable part of modern British fruit growing and a staple that continues to find its place in kitchens, lunchboxes and orchards, with a story that continues to evolve.
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