Lady Alice apples are approaching peak availability as the Washington apple variety hits the mid-point of the season. Volume is slightly down this season, which growers say is in line with most other varieties. Additionally, some are waiting for more mature trees to bear additional fruit from next season onward, with strong increases in volume expected for both conventional and organic.
"Our shipments of Lady Alice started in October, of both conventional and organic, and we generally have supply through May," shared Andy Tudor of Rainier Fruit Company. "This season, our volumes were down about 15 percent, which tracks with most other Washington varieties. But with that came excellent fruit size and quality. Next season we have more mature acreage coming into bearing. Volume increase will be close to 30 percent on conventional, and a 3 fold increase on organic."
Lady Alice characteristics
The Lady Alice apple was discovered by chance back in 1978 although it didn't enter supermarkets until 2010. The apple has a pink and yellow striped coloring and is described as being sweet and yet balanced. Tudor noted that Rainier Fruit prefers to highlight the balanced flavor profile of the Lady Alice.
"Lady Alice is unique in a number of ways," he said. "It is the highest sugar and firmest apple we handle. Like many other newer varieties, we used to call it sweet with a hint of tart. However, after tastings at two wine festivals, we kept hearing 'this apple has a perfectly balanced flavor,' so now we call it the Perfectly Balanced apple. We support the program with a full complement of POS, from posters to display merchandisers."
Position in the wider market
The apple category has significantly grown in recent years, with many new varieties hitting the shelves. Growers are aiming to pinpoint consumer preferences but acknowledge that not all the new varieties will be successful. According to Tudor though, Lady Alice is alongside a number of other varieties that he sees as being standouts in the category. "The newer apple variety field is becoming crowded," he noted. "Like any category, not all are going to make it. Envy, Jazz and Opal are some of the standouts."
To demonstrate this, Tudor added that Lady Alice apples are sold through North America, with some new export markets also accepting the apple for the first time. "This year the world has discovered the Lady Alice's incredible flavor, with shipments to China, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. Lady Alice is a nice complement to our full manifest of conventional and organic apples, pears, cherries and blueberries."
