Michal Slawski, Horticulture department, Bord Bia – Irish Food Board
Volume of Bramley apple sales in Ireland increases by 15% since 2016
According to recent research, the volume of Bramley apple retail sales in Ireland reached 4200 tonnes in the year to September 2016, a year on year increase of 15%. This follows on from 18% growth in 2016, and shows something of a resurgence in sales, although the value is nearly static at €6.7 million, showing a decrease in price.
The increase in sales is encouraging, and it is spread across all the age groups, meaning there are more young shoppers coming into the category. The reason behind this is the importance Irish consumers place on cooking from scratch, which gives fresh produce a good opportunity in Ireland. In the recent PERIscope 2017 research from Bord Bia, Irish and British Consumers and their Food June 2017, almost half of Irish consumers say they prepare food from scratch at least once a day. It is also acknowledged in both markets that to be healthier, people should eat less food containing sugar, fat, salt and carbonated soft drinks, and more fruit and vegetables. Two-thirds of Irish consumers consider this to be important to them.
Bord Bia’s consumer lifestyle trends also highlight the importance of authenticity to modern consumers. Real products, made from real ingredients, by real people are increasingly important anchors for consumers in our ever more digitalised, intangible and shifting world. Both the increasingly globalised marketplace and the rapid pace of technological change are leaving consumers swimming in a sea of overwhelming choice and change. Simple and traditional ingredients and production processes are playing an increasingly important role in the reassuring and ‘grounding’ consumers, connecting them to the tangible and unchanging aspects of life.
Apples have been grown in Ireland for at least 3000 years, and currently, about a third of the world’s supply of Bramley’s is grown in Ireland, with 270 hectares in production, yielding on average 7500 tonnes. The apple recently celebrated its bicentenary, and even today it’s quite possible that consumers could be eating an apple that’s from a tree over a hundred years old, giving it an unmatched tradition in Ireland.
Bramleys are still used in traditional apple pies but have also found a myriad of new uses, being added to cakes and breads, in sauces, and as an ingredient in a variety of meals, adding flavour to stews and curries.
For more information please contact michal.slawski@bordbia.ie
