Kanzi means ‘hidden treasure’ in Swahili, and for one Kent-based grower the new apple variety of the same name could yet unearth rich reward.
Last year, leading Tesco supplier Adrian Scripps acquired the exclusive UK rights to grow Kanzi – a Gala/Braeburn cross with a bright red skin and a tart-sour flavour.
The apple industry may not be one of the most dynamic sectors of UK food production, but company MD James Simpson (right) sees a promising future for Kanzi. He believes it will capture shoppers’ imagination and compete with varieties such as Cameo and Rubens. And early sales have been promising.
“We are producing between 1,100 and 1,200 tonnes but the excellent response means we anticipate doing five times the volume in the next four years,” he says. “It’s very crunchy and fizzy, which consumers like, and it’s done well in Tesco nationally so far.”
Adrian Scripps had previously sold to several chains, but decided to dedicate itself to one customer, Tesco, which it supplies through marketer Richard Hochfeld. “That way we can get closer to them, understand their business and supply to their needs,” Simpson says.
Scripps produces about 12,000 tonnes of apples a year including Gala, Braeburn, Jonagold, Bramley, Kanzi and another new variety, Greenstar. It also grows Conference, Comice and Concorde pears and all fruit is grown to Assured Produce and Tesco Nature’s Choice standards.
Greenstar, a hybrid of the Granny Smith and Delcorf varieties, is taking longer than Kanzi to establish a consumer fanbase but is still expected to do well long-term. Shoppers are beginning to show a preference for bicoloured fruit such as Gala and Braeburn over Cox.
“We’ve decided this will be our final season of growing Cox as the orchards are coming to the end of their lives and we are looking at replanting more Gala and Kanzi,” says Simpson. There is also the mounting evidence that consumers are choosing British and locally grown fruit over imports. “Putting the Union Jack on fruit is the best marketing tool we have,” says Simpson. “But quality must be right if we are going to use that brand.”
He says that in the past few years the quality of English top fruit has “been excellent”, and competes well with the best of the Northern Hemisphere crops, even if this year’s poor weather means fruit size has been smaller than average, although quality remains good.
“There’s huge demand for English apples, so there should be no need to fight for shelf space,” Simpson adds. It may be a good time to be a UK apple grower, but the industry is suffering the same pressures as other fresh produce sectors.
“We’ve had significant cost increases in the past 18 months, especially with the startling rise in labour costs,” says Simpson. “It’s becoming more difficult to source casual labour so we are trying to develop our systems to minimise labour input.” Pricing continues to be a hot topic for producers, but Simpson remains confident all sides can win where there is a good supply chain relationship.
“Price constraints will always be there but we have good, open dialogue with Tesco that means we can both be profitable,” he insists.
The apple industry may not be one of the most dynamic sectors of UK food production, but company MD James Simpson (right) sees a promising future for Kanzi. He believes it will capture shoppers’ imagination and compete with varieties such as Cameo and Rubens. And early sales have been promising.
“We are producing between 1,100 and 1,200 tonnes but the excellent response means we anticipate doing five times the volume in the next four years,” he says. “It’s very crunchy and fizzy, which consumers like, and it’s done well in Tesco nationally so far.”
Adrian Scripps had previously sold to several chains, but decided to dedicate itself to one customer, Tesco, which it supplies through marketer Richard Hochfeld. “That way we can get closer to them, understand their business and supply to their needs,” Simpson says.
Scripps produces about 12,000 tonnes of apples a year including Gala, Braeburn, Jonagold, Bramley, Kanzi and another new variety, Greenstar. It also grows Conference, Comice and Concorde pears and all fruit is grown to Assured Produce and Tesco Nature’s Choice standards.
Greenstar, a hybrid of the Granny Smith and Delcorf varieties, is taking longer than Kanzi to establish a consumer fanbase but is still expected to do well long-term. Shoppers are beginning to show a preference for bicoloured fruit such as Gala and Braeburn over Cox.
“We’ve decided this will be our final season of growing Cox as the orchards are coming to the end of their lives and we are looking at replanting more Gala and Kanzi,” says Simpson. There is also the mounting evidence that consumers are choosing British and locally grown fruit over imports. “Putting the Union Jack on fruit is the best marketing tool we have,” says Simpson. “But quality must be right if we are going to use that brand.”
He says that in the past few years the quality of English top fruit has “been excellent”, and competes well with the best of the Northern Hemisphere crops, even if this year’s poor weather means fruit size has been smaller than average, although quality remains good.
“There’s huge demand for English apples, so there should be no need to fight for shelf space,” Simpson adds. It may be a good time to be a UK apple grower, but the industry is suffering the same pressures as other fresh produce sectors.
“We’ve had significant cost increases in the past 18 months, especially with the startling rise in labour costs,” says Simpson. “It’s becoming more difficult to source casual labour so we are trying to develop our systems to minimise labour input.” Pricing continues to be a hot topic for producers, but Simpson remains confident all sides can win where there is a good supply chain relationship.
“Price constraints will always be there but we have good, open dialogue with Tesco that means we can both be profitable,” he insists.
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