Ed Bedington
Bramley apple growers are employing long-term tactics in this year's promotional plans.
The Bramley Apple Campaign will use Bramley Apple Week, which starts on Monday, to launch two initiatives promoting the use of the fruit in cooking. One project will focus on schoolchildren, while the other will target catering college students.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples and Pears, said the lifestyle shift away from home cooking put the group in danger of losing its main customers, women aged 45-plus.
"Youngsters won't have the Bramley habit and, when they reach that age, they won't be using it," he said. To combat this, the Bramley Apple Campaign is launching an interactive schools website, aimed at pupils aged seven to 11, to provide easy recipes and educational tools for teachers.
The second initiative will target trainee chefs in more than 600 catering colleges with a cookery competition to create the best Bramley dish.
A national final will be held at Westminster Kingsway Catering College and the winner will take home £1,000. Barlow said the project was designed to increase awareness of the apple throughout the foodservice sector by raising its profile among young chefs.
However, despite all the positive activity, Bramley growers must still deal with the problem of low volumes this season.
Barlow said the UK crop, including supplies from Northern Ireland, was about 60,000 tonnes, compared with last season's crop of 110,000 tonnes.
Because of the reduced volumes no heavyweight promotions are planned. Instead Bramley apples will be promoted by recipes and point of sale material throughout Bramley Apple Week.
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Bramley apple growers are employing long-term tactics in this year's promotional plans.
The Bramley Apple Campaign will use Bramley Apple Week, which starts on Monday, to launch two initiatives promoting the use of the fruit in cooking. One project will focus on schoolchildren, while the other will target catering college students.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples and Pears, said the lifestyle shift away from home cooking put the group in danger of losing its main customers, women aged 45-plus.
"Youngsters won't have the Bramley habit and, when they reach that age, they won't be using it," he said. To combat this, the Bramley Apple Campaign is launching an interactive schools website, aimed at pupils aged seven to 11, to provide easy recipes and educational tools for teachers.
The second initiative will target trainee chefs in more than 600 catering colleges with a cookery competition to create the best Bramley dish.
A national final will be held at Westminster Kingsway Catering College and the winner will take home £1,000. Barlow said the project was designed to increase awareness of the apple throughout the foodservice sector by raising its profile among young chefs.
However, despite all the positive activity, Bramley growers must still deal with the problem of low volumes this season.
Barlow said the UK crop, including supplies from Northern Ireland, was about 60,000 tonnes, compared with last season's crop of 110,000 tonnes.
Because of the reduced volumes no heavyweight promotions are planned. Instead Bramley apples will be promoted by recipes and point of sale material throughout Bramley Apple Week.
{{MARKET EDGE }}
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