Despite a lower numbers of entries due to the late harvest, the show fruit once again remains the show-stopping heart of the National Fruit Show. There were 127 entries of top fruit classes 1 – 21 from 37 exhibitors.
The National Fruit Show prizes and prize money runs to over £10,000 in value so it’s good to see that novice entries were up and competition organisers were pleased at the wide range of winners this year.
The headline apple variety wins which receive the most media coverage were Bramley as best in show with 99/100 points for veteran show entrant Annette Bardsley and organic apple growers, Mole End Farms, winner of the tastiest apple competition (sponsored by the Fruit Grower magazine) with Ruebinstep (a scab resistant Czech bred variety).
A theme this year again was the number of new entrants, many involving people under 40, exactly what the whole industry wants to see.
Class 20 under 40 Dessert apple – The Sue Daly Novice trophy was won for the second year running by Nicoleta Ionita, farm manager at Mole End Organic Farm, this time for their Spartan which also won a first prize in Class 18. This was another impressive win for the only organic farm to enter, particularly as this second year of winning first prizes shows consistency from this 20 year old organic fruit farm, near Cranbook in Kent. Owner Paul Ward considers his crop protection success is due to a combination of a weed-free environment for the trees with careful mechanical weeding, biostimulant seaweed sprays and strict use of computer models to get timing right for the application of low rate sulphur and potassium bicarbonate products allowed for organic growing.