Gala opening season for new apple variety

Southern Forests, home of the pink lady apple, has launched a new variety — gala supreme — and it’s available only for a few weeks at the start of the season.

“It’s the first one we pick and it’s marketed straight off the tree,” Newton Orchards’ Nic Giblett said. “We regard it as a dream crop because it develops a beautiful red-pink colour all over without the need for expensive reflective matting in the orchard, or leaf removal around fruit, as with other red varieties.

“This one is just beautiful, with a crisp skin, lovely aroma and crunchy texture. It’s great for snacking and cooks up beautifully because it holds its shape. Store in the fridge to keep it crunchy and handle with care to avoid bruising.”

Newton Orchards has picked 60,000kg of gala supreme and expects that to rise to 100,000kg in a couple of years as the apple — originally found growing on a gala tree branch in orchardist Glen Simcock’s property in the Perup district, 22km east of Manjimup — finds its niche as a season opener.

Mr Simcock said its commercial potential was identified by a causal New Zealand picker harvesting galas 12-15 years ago.

“He came up to me and asked ‘Where’s me 50 bucks’,” Mr Simcock said. “It turned out Kiwi orchardists actually paid pickers a spotter’s fee to find a successful sport or mutation, so he brought up a few apples and they looked alright, then we picked a couple more and marked the tree to come back a second time round.

“There were about six apples left and that’s when we realised how good they were.”

Originally called Perup pride, the apple is grown on tree stock propagated by Olea Nurseries in Manjimup and is being marketed as gala supreme for the first time in specially co-branded punnets under the Newton Orchards and Genuinely labels.

“I love it...it’s a beautiful early variety,” Mr Simcock said.