Autumn is the season of harvests, and none gets us more excited than apples.

Beautiful, juicy organic apples, grown by Joe Pardoe on his farm in Herefordshire. Joe looks after his family orchard, and continues his family’s tradition of growing fruit organically. Growing fruit organically is no mean feat. Unlike conventional farming, Joe and other organic growers like him work with nature to produce their fruits. This can be difficult commercially. But Joe, the fourth generation on his family farm, has shown that it is possible. Not only is it possible, Joe’s orchard thrives.

Priors Grove apples, pears, plums and cherries are just gorgeous when they’re delivered to us.

This is why we keep coming back to Joe. For the 30 years we’ve been trading, Priors Grove apples have been a key feature in our shops. It sums up the Better Food mission perfectly: delicious food, grown locally and with nature in mind. And Joe’s innovative methods are leading the way in growing tasty fruits that don’t harm nature in the process.

We’re so proud to display them in our stores. Simply browsing the Brambley apples is a joy. Conjuring up pictures of pies and crumbles. The beauty of apples is that they are also perfect for picking up and enjoying as a lunchtime snack on the go. By choosing to place Joe’s apples in your fruit bowl over supermarket varieties, you’re supporting a local producer, and giving back to the planet in the process.

A long and fruitful friendship…

Our long history with the Pardoes is no accident; Joe’s values, and those of his father Ian before him, have been in tune with our own for decades. Farming in a way that puts nature and people first, the Pardoes have shown that far from detracting from quality and flavour, their produce is only made better for the care that goes into growing it. Which is why we can hardly wait each year as English fruit season approaches!