Chef Raymond Blanc on planting heritage apple trees

FROM the traditional French tarte tatin to a perfect puree, apples have always been a part of celebrity chef Raymond Blanc’s life. He has spent years planting more than 2,500 trees in his heritage orchard behind the gardens at his hotel Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.

Its harvests should remind us all of the “wonderful varieties of fruits that we may be losing, evoking a time when apples, plums or cherries were connected with a local village, town or county, and could be again,” writes Sue Biggs, director general of the RHS, in the foreword to his new book, The Lost Orchard, a homage to heritage fruits.

“I have had many failures,” admits Blanc. “A big orchard is a massive undertaking, with so many different heritage varieties. It was complicated. I had to find the specialists to help me. I’m in love with my gardens but passion is not enough. You need experts.”

The book takes readers on that journey of discovery, as his team tried out all manner of heritage fruits.

Given that almost two thirds of British apple orchards have vanished since

1970, Blanc is keen to encourage every household to plant an apple tree.

“Even if you have a small garden, a backyard or a balcony, you can plant a heritage fruit tree. It is easy to train an apple, apricot or pear tree against a wall, or grow one in a container. Wherever you live, you can find a variety which will somehow defy the norm,” he states.

So, if you are thinking of planting an apple tree but want a particular type for a particular dish, follow Blanc’s guidelines...

Blanc’s favourite for all: Cox’s Orange Pippin (origin 1825, Buckinghamshire)

Grow it yourself in the right conditions and you will never again buy a Cox from a supermarket – however, they can be tricky to grow. Although suited to the cool British climate, they don’t like the coldest and wettest Scottish sites and are prone to diseases such as scab and canker. If you can only grow one tree, this may not be your choice.

For making apple puree: Adams Pearmain (origin possibly Norfolk or Herefordshire, 1826)

This variety is suitable for small gardens, not only for its flavour, but because the upright tree is naturally quite hardy and disease-resistant, especially to scab, and it can be grown in pots.

Harvest in October and store in a cool, dry, dark cellar where the fruit will keep until the end of December, provided they are not too mature when they are picked.

For baking: Annie Elizabeth (origin Leicester 1857)

This apple has pale gold flesh and is perfect for baking. Ensure the trees are on a suitably dwarfing rootstock such as M9. The trees are hardy, vigorous and adaptable, can tolerate mild, wet climates, and are quite resistant to disease. They ripen in late September but can stay on the branches until after the New Year. Provided the fruits are not overripe, they are one of the longest-storing varieties, which can keep until February.

For tarte tatin: Devonshire

Quarrenden (origin Devon, 1678)

This one also comes up trumps when it comes to eating fresh, pureed, in tarts and tarte tatin – in fact, everything except baking. The trees, which crop well, can tolerate quite windy, wet locations, although some traditional gardeners recommend a sheltered location with light soils to get the best from them.

Don’t let the tree overcrop or it will give you a bumper crop one year followed by next to nothing the next. They are early ripeners so enjoy in late August, they will only keep until September.

The Lost Orchard by Raymond Blanc, £20

Raymond Blanc and his team testing apples