Fresh fruit for sale
Update: November 2011. We have sold out for the 2011 season but you can contact us about fruit availability for autumn 2012.
Fresh apples, pears, quinces, plums, damsons
In collaboration with the National Fruit Collections at Brogdale Farm we have tasting samples of specialist apples, pears, and quinces available for sale by mail-order. We also have some Damsons and Plums. Most of these are varieties that are not easily found in the shops. It is an ideal way to try out different flavours, or perhaps host your own "Apple Day" tasting event.
What's in the box?
We offer fresh apples, pears, plums, gages, damsons and quinces samples, supplied from trees at the National Fruit Collections at Brogdale Farm, near Faversham, or from the Heritage Orchards also at Brogdale Farm.
The fruit is supplied in boxes containing a mix of 2 or more varieties suitable for a specific purpose or theme - e.g. russet apples, quince selection. The different varieties are kept separate and labelled. We cannot guarantee to include a specific variety, but if you are interested in a particular variety let us know and we will advise availability.
The minimum weight of fruit will be 2.5kg. This will equate to about 15-20 apples of larger varieties, and 20-30 apples where the fruit size is naturally smaller.
The fruit will be a mixture of "Class 1" and "Class 2" quality, and all fruit has to meet the National Fruit Collections quality standards. The fruit is being sold as fruit-tasting samples. Some varieties naturally produce fruit sizes which are smaller than the minimum standards required for retail fruit sales.
How to order
We recommend that you order in advance, since stocks are very limited and we will supply on a first come first served basis. We do not know exactly what quantities are available so when we accept your order there is no guarantee that we will be able to meet it. However, you will not be asked to pay until nearer the time of delivery, at which point we will know if we can meet your requirement. If we can't meet your order we will let you know as soon as we can, although this could be quite late in the summer.
Our fruit boxes can only be delivered within the mainland UK. Unfortunately we cannot send fruit boxes to the Scottish highlands, UK islands, or Northern Ireland, or to other European countries at present.
Click here for a list of fruit availability for the 2011 season.
If you are interested in obtaining samples of a particular variety in your selection box, or a variety that is not listed, please get in touch - we may be able to help.
When will your fruit box be delivered?
We generally deliver fruit in season. For early and mid-season apple varieties which ripen in August and early September your fruit box will be delivered in the week of picking at Brogdale Farm. Early-season fruit is best consumed within a week of delivery. Mid-season fruit will last 1-2 weeks if kept refrigerated.
Advance orders for late-season varieties will also be delivered shortly after picking - typically from mid-September to the end of October. Note that some late-season fruit varieties should be stored in a cold shed or refrigerator to allow the fruit to mature, suggested storage times are included in our variety notes.
After the season ends in October we will continue to offer late-season fruit from storage at Brogdale Farm until supplies are exhausted.
More information
If you have any questions about our fresh fruit delivery service please click here to get in touch.
You can also use this form if you would like to buy samples of other varieties not listed here, since we do not necessarily list every variety available.
The small print
Fruit can only be delivered to the mainland UK - excluding Scottish Highlands, UK islands, and Northern Ireland.
The fruit is supplied as tasting samples, and is not sold by weight although the minimum weight will be 2.5kg.
The fruit will be a mixture of supermarket "Class 1" and "Class 2" quality, and all fruit has to meet the National Fruit Collections quality standards and will be suitable for eating fresh or culinary purposes (depending on the variety). Some varieties naturally produce fruit which is smaller than the minimum standards required for retail fruit sales.
You should wash all fruit before use.
Our fruit samples are all of UK origin - more specifically, all fruit comes from the National Fruit Collections at Brogdale Farm, near Faversham, Kent, or from the Heritage Orchards also at Brogdale Farm.
You can cancel your order at any time up until the point that we prepare your order for despatch, and we will provide a full refund. After that point refunds are not possible.
Stock availability is very limited and we may run out of stock unexpectedly, or fruit quality may not reach acceptable standards. If this happens we will unfortunately have to cancel your order (and refund any payment).
We take great care to package the fruit for delivery, and have developed packaging that protects against most knocks in transit, however it is possible that the odd bruising may occur.
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