Competing against the top fruit producers in the UK, Chambers was awarded second-place and third-place prizes for its Paris and Malling Bella raspberries, respectively.
Paris is a variety originally bred in France that delivers a larger than average sweet, juicy berry between 5g to 6.5g, presented as a uniform, short conical and slightly rounded shape. It is a primocane that is very tolerant to the main raspberry pests and diseases and therefore produces good yields. Fruit is characterised by a pleasing aromatic flavour and firmness and a long shelf-life.
“We take great pride in the quality of the fruit that we supply and we have a strong understanding of which varieties deliver against the high standards set by our customers,” Chambers’ Commercial Director James Miller says. “We are constantly striving to meet the increasingly discerning demands of today’s consumer. This can sometimes be in the guise of a new variety, but we also stand firm with some of the more traditional varieties – such as Paris – which continue to epitomise the best in class, as demonstrated by our success at this year’s National Fruit Show.”
Miller adds of Paris, “It not only performs in terms of aesthetics, flavour and yield, it – along with a number of other varieties that we grow – also enjoys an extended growing season with the crop being harvested as late as October in the field, and up to December under glass. Clearly, being able to deliver a British product so late in the year is an appealing proposition for the industry and underpins Chambers’ commitment to (wherever it is possible) reducing the carbon footprint. Offering our customers a choice of high-quality berries that resonate with current consumer trends remains our No. 1 priority.”
Malling Bella was first launched in 2017 and represents a variety from the East Malling Rubus Breeding Consortium, an international breeding consortium originally formed in 2015, of which Chambers was a founding member. It is a vigorous, mid-season primocane fruiter, providing large, easy-to-pick berries.
Malling Bella delivers heavy yields and is suitable for double cropping and long-cane production. The resulting fruit is of an excellent quality, with consistent flavour and a long shelf-life.
