SEPTEMBER
British Apple and Pear Season launches with Raymond Blanc OBE
· The 2020 British crop is estimated to be a staggering 1.6 billion apples and pears
· This season has proved challenging for the industry but BAPL’s Raymond Blanc collaboration aims to create an incredibly strong start to the season
· Raymond Blanc agrees Britain grows some of the greatest tasting
apples and pears in the world
London, 5 October 2020. Although COVID-19 has presented many challenges for the British apple and pear industry, UK growers are determined to bring in a successful and delicious harvest. In 2020, a staggering 1.6 billion apples and pears (183,00 tonnes) will be picked by hand across British orchards, and British Apples and Pears Limited (BAPL) is urging retailers to put their support behind the nation’s fruit as the key promotional season begins.
To launch the start of season, BAPL is working with one of the true titans of Britain’s food scene, Raymond Blanc OBE, who believes that Britain’s many apple varieties are the finest in the world.
Ali Capper, Chief Executive of British Apples and Pears comments, “We believe this will be our biggest start of season campaign yet. Not only are we using Raymond Blanc’s celebrity chef appeal to reach consumers directly on TV, radio and print, we are also working with key social media influencers to get our apple a day message out to as many people as possible.
“There’s no doubt this season has been challenging for our growers. They’ve been working around the clock to overcome the challenges posed by the weather conditions and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we’re delighted that the hard work and commitment of our growers is paying off with the most delicious tasting fruit. With the support of British retailers, we are excited to announce the start of a wonderful British apple and pear season.”
The Start of Season collaboration with celebrity chef, Raymond Blanc, aims to fuel excitement about this year’s crop and cement the UK’s position as the greatest apple nation in the world. As part of the activation, Raymond Blanc has been interviewed in a British apple orchard for BBC Countryfile, to be broadcast on Sunday 4th October 2020. Furthermore, Ali Capper, Raymond Blanc and a selection of regional growers will take part in a nationwide radio day on Wednesday 7th October 2020 to share news of the incredible taste and flavour of British apples, the nutritional benefits, while also offering snacking advice and recipe ideas across the nation. The BAPL PR agency, Spider, is also securing further national press and TV coverage from early October to showcase the delicious new season fruit.
Chef Blanc says, “For me, some of the greatest tasting apples in the world are British. The start of the season gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase British apples and pears and to talk about the fantastic varieties available right here on our doorstep. I am extremely proud to be working alongside British growers. When we remind people of just how wonderful the humble British apple is, I know everyone will be as excited about British apples as I am.”
Over the last three years, BAPL has invested almost £1m to help strengthen awareness of the health benefits of British apples and pears, to encourage an apple a day snacking and to ultimately reach its market share target of 60% by 2030.
Sales patterns[1] during the COVID-19 period have shown families swapping to eat more healthy apples and pears, a positive for growers and retailers alike. However, with recent data showing the average person consumes less than half an apple a day[2], there is a profound opportunity to increase consumption of British apples and support growers during the key promotional period.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
For more information on British Apples and Pears please contact either Adrianna Godziek Adrianna.godziek@wearespider.com or Ellie Taylor ellie.taylor@wearespider.com or call 0207 403 6900
About British Apples and Pears
British Apples & Pears is a limited registered company formed in 1990 to organise and develop the promotion of the British apple and pear industry. They work year-round to promote delicious British high-quality apples and pears and we are led by a committed board of grower directors. The organisation acts as a trade association, to promote and safeguard the interests of its British grower members and to promote British grown apples and pears. Membership is restricted to British growers of apples and pears and each member’s shareholding is determined by their hectarage of apples and pears. It is funded by a voluntary levy – every time a class one British apple or pear is purchased the growers donate a small sum to the promotional fund. It represents the whole of the British industry, working hard on their behalf to grow their market share, raise awareness and engage with consumers and retailers with the aim of supplying 60% of all the apples and pears consumed in the UK by 2030.
[1] Kantar data July 2020
[2] Kantar Data, May 2020
