Armagh Bramley apples win European protection
Armagh Bramley apples in Northern Ireland have been awarded EU protected name status, the third local food to gain this recognition in the past year. Other successful Northern Ireland products are Lough Neagh eels and Comber early potatoes.
It places the Armagh Bramley alongside other elite produce such as Parma ham, Melton Mowbray pork pies, champagne and Stilton cheese.
The European Commission has confirmed Armagh Bramley apples have been awarded protected geographical indication (PGI) status which promotes and protects names of high quality food and drinks.
Welcoming the recognition, John Beggs, a leading Bramley apple grower in Armagh and chairman of the Northern Ireland Fruit Growers Association, says: "We have waited a long time for this, but at last we have recognition that the Armagh Bramley has a special taste and composition. It represents an important boost to the industry in County Armagh."
County Armagh orchards produce more than 40,000 tonnes of Bramley apples each year. An increasing quantity of the crop goes for cider production but the market for cooking apples remains an important outlet for the 140 growers who produce the bulk of the Armagh Bramley crop. The apples are also used to make pies and other bakery products.
"The EU award recognises the sharper, cleaner and slightly tarter taste of the Armagh Bramley compared with apples from orchards in England," adds Mr Beggs.
The orchards stretch from Armagh city to Portadown with the greatest concentration on the gentle slopes around Loughgall. Among cider growers using the apples are the Armagh Cider Company, DJ's Cider and Juices and McCann's.
Weather is crucial in Armagh Bramley production and the orchard county is particularly suited because it gets fewer late frosts than most other areas.
The frost factor is crucial but the damp, mild climate of Armagh is also particularly suited to the production of cooking apples.
The Fruit Growers Association says Armagh Bramley apples grow more slowly than fruit in English orchards and that this results in Bramleys with a unique taste and texture.
PGI legislation came into force in 1993 and is a system for the protection of food names on a geographical or traditional recipe basis.
The scheme highlights regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed.
Under this system a named food or drink registered at a European level will be given legal protection against imitation throughout the EU.
Armagh Bramleys all originate from the first trees planted in 1884. A Bramley Apple Blossom Festival is now held every May in Armagh.