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Apple varieties similar to those you find in supermarkets

One of the first questions to ask yourself when you consider buying a new apple tree for your garden is what apple varieties do you like? We offer a wide range of traditional and modern apple varieties, many of which are not readily available in the shops, so it might be difficult to decide which ones you will like. To help resolve this problem this page provides a handy list of supermarket apple varieties, along with some of the main apple tree varieties we offer which we think have similar flavours and textures.

  • Jazz™

    Flavour:  aromatic, sweet / sharp      Texture:  crisp, dense, hard     

    Without doubt one of the best-flavoured of all supermarket apple varieties, and proof that modern apples can be just as good as traditional ones.

    We offer the following apple tree varieties which are similar to Jazz™:

    • Braeburn - One of the parents of Jazz, and can be very good when home-grown, but only in warmer drier areas.
    • Gala - The other parent of Jazz, and also very good when home-grown, but again prefers warmer drier areas.
    • Kidd's Orange Red - A grand-parent of Jazz, and the floral note hints at some relationship.
    • Meridian - No particular relation, but a good hard well-balanced apple.
    • Chivers Delight - Again no particular relation, but this is a hard, crisp, dense apple with a good-balanced flavour.
    • Winter Gem - Another hard dense apple with a fruity flavour.

  • Braeburn

    Flavour:  aromatic, sweet / sharp      Texture:  crisp, fairly hard      more >

    Braeburn was the first of the modern "bi-coloured" apple varieties, and good examples have a good balanced sweet / sharp flavour which harkens back to some of the best traditional English heirloom varieties.

    As well as several similar varieties we also offer Braeburn apple trees for sale, and they can be grown successfully in warm sheltered locations in the south of England - but don’t expect to pick the apples before November, and they need a really good sunny autumn to ripen properly.

    We offer the following apple tree varieties which are similar to Braeburn:

  • Golden Delicious

    Flavour:  sweet      Texture:  light and crisp      more >

    Golden Delicous has a unique combination of crisp crunchy flesh and a sweet flavour.

    As well as several similar varieties we also supply Golden Delicious apple trees in the UK. The flavour of home-grown examples, picked when they are golden yellow rather than green, is far superior. However like many American apple varieties it prefers a warm dry climate, and is therefore best suited to the south-east of England.

    We offer the following apple tree varieties which are similar to Golden Delicious:

  • Gala

    Flavour:  sweet      Texture:  light and crisp      more >

    One of the most popular supermarket apple varieties, Gala is an easy-eating apple with a mild sweet flavour and a pleasant light crunchy texture.

    We also supply Gala apple trees in the UK, and it is a good variety for drier parts of England, as well as France and southern Europe.

    We offer the following apple tree varieties which are similar to Gala:

    • Kidd's Orange Red - One of the parents of Gala (and developed by the same man, New Zealand apple enthusiast J.H. Kidd), and a good alternative to Gala. Does not keep as well, but has a more complex and interesting flavour, and is more suitable for northern areas of the UK.
    • Fiesta - Distantly related to Gala through Cox’s Orange Pippin. Has a slightly sharper flavour than Gala, but generally still a fundamentally sweet apple.

  • Granny Smith

    Flavour:  sharp and acidic      Texture:  dense and crisp      more >

    Perhaps the most easily recognised of all apple varieties, this famous green apple from Australia has a dense hard flesh and a sharp acidic flavour.

    We produce small numbers of Granny Smith trees for sale in the UK. The trees are hardy throughout the UK, but the apples are unlikely to ripen unless you live in the south of England.

    We offer the following apple tree varieties which are similar to Granny Smith:

    • Sturmer Pippin - No apple variety is quite like Granny Smith, but Sturmer Pippin gets fairly close.

  • Red Delicious

    Flavour:  sweet, scented      Texture:  lightly crisp     

    One of the most well-known American supermarket varieties, famous for its dark crimson skin and bright white sweet flesh. It does not grow well in the UK, preferring a warmer longer summer and autumn than is usually experienced here.

    We offer the following apple tree varieties which are similar to Red Delicious:

    • Kidd's Orange Red - Delicious (from which Red Delicious comes) is one of its parent, and it inherits the pleasant scent of flowers that is sometimes found in Red Delicious. It’s a sweet crisp apple, close in spirit to Red Delicious - and with arguably a better flavour.
    • Spartan - Not related to Red Delicious, and really quite a different apple … but like Red Delicious it has a floral note to its flavour.
    • Jupiter - Descended from a closely-related version of Red Delicious called Starking Delicious. Has a slightly tangier (and perhaps more interesting) flavour than Red Delicious.

See also our article on how to choose the best apple tree for your garden.