Ashmead's Kernel have a mate by the name of Martyn Ashmead and I was privileged
to supply him with a specimen of this tree for his back garden. He was glad to know that a
quality apple bore his name, but even happier with the flavour. Ashmead's Kernel, I have
heard, is the apple which most often wins blind tasting awards for the best flavoured English
apple of all, beating Cox. It is a russet which was raised in Gloucestershire by Dr Ashmead
around 1700 (amazing how many of our very best apples are from around 1680-1800. Did
we stop trying after then, or have we lost some of the more genetically promising stock?).
This is Julia's favourite apple, we originally planted just 5, mainly for her, not thinking it
would be commercially viable, but we found it grew better for us than we had been led to
expect from the books and our customers went mad for it, so we have grafted over a row of
Spartan in Cobbet's to this variety (see page on grafting). I remember one day at
Winchester farmers market when an elderly gentleman came up to our stall and his eyes lit
up. "Got any Ashmead's Kernel?" he enquired, and I'm glad to say I was able to say " Yes!".
After tasting some he bought all we had and was obviously very happy. One of our mission
goals is to "reconnect people with the apples of the garden of their youth." and I think in this
case we may have succeeded. A first class long keeping highly flavoured English apple.
click for image
to supply him with a specimen of this tree for his back garden. He was glad to know that a
quality apple bore his name, but even happier with the flavour. Ashmead's Kernel, I have
heard, is the apple which most often wins blind tasting awards for the best flavoured English
apple of all, beating Cox. It is a russet which was raised in Gloucestershire by Dr Ashmead
around 1700 (amazing how many of our very best apples are from around 1680-1800. Did
we stop trying after then, or have we lost some of the more genetically promising stock?).
This is Julia's favourite apple, we originally planted just 5, mainly for her, not thinking it
would be commercially viable, but we found it grew better for us than we had been led to
expect from the books and our customers went mad for it, so we have grafted over a row of
Spartan in Cobbet's to this variety (see page on grafting). I remember one day at
Winchester farmers market when an elderly gentleman came up to our stall and his eyes lit
up. "Got any Ashmead's Kernel?" he enquired, and I'm glad to say I was able to say " Yes!".
After tasting some he bought all we had and was obviously very happy. One of our mission
goals is to "reconnect people with the apples of the garden of their youth." and I think in this
case we may have succeeded. A first class long keeping highly flavoured English apple.
click for image