Reasons to Buy Local Organic Apples and Pears
Nearly all of our apples and pears in supermarkets are now imported, a crying shame considering many heritage local varieties are at risk from extinction.
Apple chunks are choking hazards for babies and people with swallowing difficulties. Keep apple pips/seeds/cores away from pets due to natural cyanide.
Ask permission before feeding to equines, as too many cause colic. If given permission, feed cut up from a flat palm, to prevent choking).
Due to England’s mild climate, England’s apples are some of the best-tasting on earth, but not the ones sold in most supermarkets. They mostly spray apples with shellac (made from dead insects, to make them waxy) so always look for organic apples in farm shops, if you live nearby.
Which Apples to Use for What?
There are hundreds of varieties of English apples, so don’t just limit yourself to Cox, Braeburn and Granny Smith!
- Bramley apples are good for cooking, as they are too sour raw. Use in apple pies and crumbles, or to make apple sauce.
- Red Prince apples are sweet and tart, and smell a bit like roses!
- Evelina apples are crisp and sweet, with a little acidity.
- Cox was invented in Slough (Surrey) and a good balance of tart and sweet.
- Granny Smith is very tart, and good for making French tarte tatin.
- Comice pears are particularly good with vegan cheese.
Supporting Local Apple Farmers
Organic apples are grown without synthetic pesticides, which is a relief for anyone concerned about chemical intake. By choosing organic, you consume apples that are as nature intended.
Farmers’ markets are treasure troves for fresh produce and a vital link to your local farming community. They offer a variety of organic apples you can hand-pick yourself.
The county of Sussex is home to 30 varieties of apples alone, so why do the big supermarkets mostly import apples, when our heritage orchards are so much in peril?
When you investigate, it seems to be that old chestnut of money and profit. A recent report by Sustain, found that UK farmers often get less than 1p profit from their food, compared to imports from abroad.
A House of Lords enquiry found that some apple growers are now refusing to sell to supermarkets, due to their profits being squeezed.
A quick look at the website of a major supermarket finds 3 brands of organic apples on sale, all in plastic packaging. All sold at around £2.50 for 4 to 6 apples, depending on the ones chosen:
- The Gala apples are from New Zealand
- The Pink Lady apples say ‘produce from .. and then leaves the country blank
- The ‘seasonal apples’ are British, but reviews say many arrived rotten
As apple skin produces ethylene gas, store them in an airtight container in the fridge, to prevent them going brown (or being damaged by rolling around on countertops).
The main types of apples that you’ll find in shops are:
- Royal Gala is the most popular. It has a crispy bite and is very sweet, with a stripy red skin.
- Russet apples are light brown with ‘cream freckles’ and are very sweet. These are quite similar to pears, and lovely with vegan cheese.
- Cox apples have good bite, and a honey aroma
- Bramley apples are green and tart, best for cooking.
- Braeburn are actually native to New Zealand, but now grow here widely.
Did you know that the Core Blimey apple was commissioned by the Orchard Project after a national competition? A local dessert apple, this is similar to a Cox apple but bred to be more disease-tolerant so is easier to grow organically.
Compare this to Riverford, an online organic veg box scheme whose founder campaigns for better prices for local farmers. Yes they cost a little more, but these apples are tasty, organic, local and in season (out of season they ship-freight from abroad).
And they sell for taste, not looks. These apples cost £3.90 but you even get to know the (Kent) farmer who grew them. Delivered fresh from the farm, so wash before eating.
Abel & Cole also sells organic apples online. These are grown by a couple who grow both organic apples (and walnuts) on a farm in Herefordshire (their orchards grow Bramley, russets and red pippin apples).
A Delicious History of the Apple
The Apple: A Delicious History is the fascinating 10,000 year story of the world’s most tempting fruit (yet 70% of apples in England are imported, which is why it’s good to buy local apples to preserve our heritage orchards (also buy organic, to avoid the ‘waxy apples’ covered in shellac – dead insects).
This book takes us on a tour of apple’s prehistoric beginnings in the Tian Shan mountains of Kazakhstan to the modern day.
You’ll learn how apples even featured on the shopping list of a senior Roman officer on Hadrian’s wall. The perfect gift for anyone enjoys a slice of apple pie or a drop of cider, get to know your apples (from Bramley to Cox).
In the early 1840s, a young Yorkshire vicar set about planting an orchard next to his new farmhouse. Around him the world was in turmoil. Ireland was in the throes of its great famine. Western Europe teetered on the cusp of violent revolution.
In setting out his orchard, our tree-planting vicar was investing in a happier future. Those fifteen or so tiny saplings would eventually transform into veteran trees which still every autumn, sit heavy with pounds of apples. That orchard and its farmhouse are now my home.
Fresher apples and pears have better flavour
Fruit isn’t like a tin of beans. Time matters. The longer apples and pears sit in storage, on pallets, or in the back of a lorry, the more they lose that just-picked feel.
Local fruit usually travels a shorter distance. Because of that, growers can often pick it closer to ripeness. That matters for flavour, but also for texture. A good apple should snap. A good pear should soften slowly, not turn from hard to grainy overnight.
Supermarket fruit can still be decent, of course. Still, it often has to cope with a long chain, from packing to transport to shelf display. Local fruit has fewer steps to survive, so it can focus on being fruit, not freight.
There’s also variety. Large retailers tend to stock a narrow range, mostly types that travel well and look uniform. Local orchards often grow older or less common varieties, and that opens the door to sharper apples, sweeter pears, and fruit with more character.
That difference is easy to notice. One bite tastes bright and alive. The other tastes fine, but a bit flat. It’s the difference between bread from a bakery and bread that’s been wrapped for days. Both are bread, but only one still feels awake.
Season matters too. British apples and pears come into their own in autumn, then carry on through careful storage into the colder months. When you buy local, you’re more likely to eat with the season instead of against it. That sounds modest, and it is, but it changes how food tastes.
Buying local organic fruit supports growers and places near you
Food shopping can feel anonymous. A barcode, a till, a bag, done. Buying local changes that. Even when you don’t meet the grower, your money still has a clearer path.
It goes to nearby farms, market stalls, farm shops, veg box schemes, and small businesses that rely on local trade. In other words, more of that spend stays in the area. That helps keep orchards working, workers employed, and local food networks alive.
This matters because orchards aren’t only places that produce fruit. They shape the look of the countryside. They hold old skills, local knowledge, and often a sense of place that’s hard to replace once it’s gone.
Organic standards add another layer. They restrict synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, and many shoppers prefer that approach. It doesn’t mean farming without effort. If anything, it often means more thought, more planning, and closer attention to the crop.
Buying local organic apples and pears is a quiet way to back the kind of farming you want to see nearby.
There’s also trust. Local buying makes food feel less distant. You can ask where the fruit came from, how it was grown, and what’s in season. That kind of transparency is rare in long supply chains, where fruit can pass through many hands before it reaches yours.
And then there’s resilience. When local growers have steady support, communities depend less on far-off supply for everyday food. That won’t replace national systems, and it doesn’t need to. It simply adds strength at the local level, which is no small thing.
Organic and seasonal eating fit together naturally
Local and organic make sense on their own. Together, they make even more sense. One keeps distance short. The other sets a clear farming standard. The result is food that feels a bit more grounded, and often less over-handled.
There’s a practical side too. Apples and pears are among the easiest fruits to buy locally in Britain. They store well, they suit our climate, and they’re widely grown. So this isn’t an abstract ideal. It’s one of the simpler swaps you can make.
You may also notice less packaging, especially at markets or farm shops. Not always, but often. That means less plastic and less fuss when you get home. You pick the fruit, bring it back, and eat it. Simple is part of the appeal.
Then there’s waste. Fruit that tastes good tends to get eaten. That sounds obvious, but it matters. A crisp local apple is less likely to be forgotten at the back of the fridge than one that looked shiny but never had much flavour to begin with.
Organic fruit can cost more, and that’s worth saying plainly. Yet price isn’t the whole story. If the fruit keeps better, tastes better, and supports farms nearby, the value shifts. You’re not only paying for the item in your hand. You’re paying for the way it was grown, and for the food system behind it.
The simple case for choosing local fruit
If you want fruit that tastes fresher, travels less, and supports nearby growers, this is an easy place to start. Local organic apples and pears bring together flavour, seasonality, and a more direct kind of food buying. Next time you’re at a market, farm shop, or picking up a veg box, choose the apples and pears grown near you. Small choice, clear difference.
