Top fruit season begins: a spotlight on August's Bramley apple harvest 

August marked the start of the UK top fruit season, with Bramley apples being the first variety to be harvested. ‘Top fruit’ refers to any fruit grown on trees, and the season runs until November – but with clever cold storage solutions, the produce can be made available all year. After all, the humble apple is a firm favourite amongst UK consumers! 

Here’s how we ensure top fruit season is a success… 

Overcoming weather challenges 

Following this year’s extreme weather events, this growing season has not been without its challenges. Frosts in May, hail in June and extreme heat during summer has posed difficulties for orchards across the UK.  

Every grower and orchard have been impacted in different ways, and the overall industry expectation is that volumes will be down versus a very strong 2025 harvest. The extreme weather can cause issues with skin finish, small sizing and storability – but thanks to our robust quality and storage processes, we can be assured that our produce will be to the standard we expect.  

And it’s not all bad news either – the effect of the hot summer has actually been positive for our Bramley apples. Warm weather naturally produces higher sugar levels in fruit, resulting in an excellent eating season. On top of that, the recent cooler nights create large differences between the days highest and lowest temperatures – which is beneficial for the skin colour development of Bramley apples.  

Providing a quality British staple 

All top fruit varieties will now be picked over the coming months, which will give us a clearer indication of volume. But until then, we are busy preparing for harvested fruit to go into Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage – an advanced refrigeration technique that regulates oxygen, carbon dioxide, humidity and temperature.  

This high-quality storage solution will see us through to sales up to June 2027, enabling us to continue supplying high-quality Bramley apples to our customers. 

Sustainability at the core  

Climate resilience in the face of changing weather patterns is vital for the fresh produce industry. Measures such as our water storage programme ensure that even during dry spells, we can protect yield potential, lower the risk of crop stress, and reduce pressure on water sources during dry periods.  

This effort, combined with investment in soil health, protected cropping, varietal development, and many more sustainable practices mean we can continue providing quality produce for years to come.