When Margaret Butcher moved into her home in Norwich, Norfolk five years ago, she came across an apple tree in her garden.
Many times since she has eaten the apples and noticed that they taste differently from other apples.
Nobody was able to identify the type of apples that they are, so she took one to the National Fruit Collection in Faversham, Kent, a county known as the Garden of England.
Experts said that it is a new variety of apple and allowed Mrs Butcher to give it a name.
She called it the Lakenham Glory after the part of Norwich where she lives.
Britain has over 2000 varieties of apples - and they are the best in the world.
Core blimey! Gardener discovers a new type of apple in her back garden
By Claire Bates
14th October 2009
Daily Mail
She knew they tasted good in chutney and pies. But what Margaret Butcher had no idea of was the name of these distinctively coloured apples from a tree in her garden.
And nor did the experts, because she has in fact discovered a new variety.
Miss Butcher, 63, came across the tree when she moved into her home five years ago. She said she found the fruit tasted different to other apples.
Enlarge
New discovery: Margaret Butcher, pictured outside her Norwich home with a couple of Lakenham Glory apples
No one was able to identify them so she took one to the National Fruit Collection in Faversham, Kent, which is home to around 2,200 varieties of apple.
Experts confirmed it as a new variety and allowed Miss Butcher, as the finder, to give it a name.
She called it The Lakenham Glory, after the part of Norwich where she lives.
The British are lucky in having the world's finest apples. There are over 2,300 varieties of dessert and cooking apples and over 100 cider apples in Britain. These include Cornish Gilliflower, Coe's Golden Drop, Cox's Orange Pippin, Pineapple Russet, Laxton's Superb, Orleans Reinette, Blenheim Orange, Bramley's Seedling, and Worcester Pearmain. The Costard Apple gave its name to the "costermongers", street sellers of fruit and veg in British cities. And, according to legend, whilst Sir Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree in Cambridge an apple fell on his head and he suddenly thought of the Universal Law of Gravitation.
Ms Butcher said: 'It's nice to have a home-grown Norfolk apple which they say is a very nice apple.'
But what she hadn't realised is that every apple tree grown from a pip is classed as a new variety.
The Lakenham Glory is a dessert apple ideal for jams
Sally Rogers from the National Fruit Collection said: 'If you plant three seeds from a Cox tree and they come up, none of them will be the same variety of tree. To get the same variety you must take a graft.
'There are thousands of varieties out there but what is unusual here is that the apples from Ms Butcher's tree are shop worthy.
'Our expert said she has been very lucky and has grown a very good tasting apple and has a good size.'
Miss Butcher said the apple is a dessert apple which tasted not unlike a Cox.
'It goes well in chutney and works well in pies, she said.
'It's slightly waxy so polishes up beautifully.'
The former secretary said she and her neighbours have enjoyed the apple for years - eating it and even making jams and wine with the fruit which appears on her tree between August and November.
But she hopes that the find will enable her to find someone to take the apple on and ensure that it becomes a household name for future generations to enjoy.
'Hopefully someone will be interested in taking it on and turn it into a marketable item,' she said.
Five of the best apples from Norfolk
1) Introduced in 1905 the Norfolk Royal Apple is a sweet old-fashioned apple with a delicate melon flavour. It was found as a chance seedling at Wright's Nurseries at North Walsham in 1908. It is in season between September and December.
2) The Norfolk Royal is an attractive early 20th century red dessert apple. It is a sweet-flavoured apple which was found growing in the garden of Rev C Wright at Burnham Overy Staithe and introduced in 1983. It is s in season between September and December.
3) Adams Pearmain, introduced in 1826, is an old-fashioned late dessert apple, one of the most popular varieties in Victorian England, probably originating from Norfolk. It has an attractive 'pearmain' shape with a nutty-sweet flavour. It is in season from November and March.
4) Norfolk Biffins, or Beefings, are round, slightly flat, apples about three inches across and two and a half inches high. The skin is yellow-green, but with brown-purple and dark red streaks. Inside, the flesh has a green tint, is crisp, and is said to have a hint of the flavour of cinnamon.
5) The New Costessey Seedling, a dessert apple, was planted by George Fayers at New Costessey, near Norwich in 1926.
dailymail.co.uk
Many times since she has eaten the apples and noticed that they taste differently from other apples.
Nobody was able to identify the type of apples that they are, so she took one to the National Fruit Collection in Faversham, Kent, a county known as the Garden of England.
Experts said that it is a new variety of apple and allowed Mrs Butcher to give it a name.
She called it the Lakenham Glory after the part of Norwich where she lives.
Britain has over 2000 varieties of apples - and they are the best in the world.
Core blimey! Gardener discovers a new type of apple in her back garden
By Claire Bates
14th October 2009
Daily Mail
She knew they tasted good in chutney and pies. But what Margaret Butcher had no idea of was the name of these distinctively coloured apples from a tree in her garden.
And nor did the experts, because she has in fact discovered a new variety.
Miss Butcher, 63, came across the tree when she moved into her home five years ago. She said she found the fruit tasted different to other apples.
Enlarge
New discovery: Margaret Butcher, pictured outside her Norwich home with a couple of Lakenham Glory apples
No one was able to identify them so she took one to the National Fruit Collection in Faversham, Kent, which is home to around 2,200 varieties of apple.
Experts confirmed it as a new variety and allowed Miss Butcher, as the finder, to give it a name.
She called it The Lakenham Glory, after the part of Norwich where she lives.
The British are lucky in having the world's finest apples. There are over 2,300 varieties of dessert and cooking apples and over 100 cider apples in Britain. These include Cornish Gilliflower, Coe's Golden Drop, Cox's Orange Pippin, Pineapple Russet, Laxton's Superb, Orleans Reinette, Blenheim Orange, Bramley's Seedling, and Worcester Pearmain. The Costard Apple gave its name to the "costermongers", street sellers of fruit and veg in British cities. And, according to legend, whilst Sir Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree in Cambridge an apple fell on his head and he suddenly thought of the Universal Law of Gravitation.
Ms Butcher said: 'It's nice to have a home-grown Norfolk apple which they say is a very nice apple.'
But what she hadn't realised is that every apple tree grown from a pip is classed as a new variety.
The Lakenham Glory is a dessert apple ideal for jams
Sally Rogers from the National Fruit Collection said: 'If you plant three seeds from a Cox tree and they come up, none of them will be the same variety of tree. To get the same variety you must take a graft.
'There are thousands of varieties out there but what is unusual here is that the apples from Ms Butcher's tree are shop worthy.
'Our expert said she has been very lucky and has grown a very good tasting apple and has a good size.'
Miss Butcher said the apple is a dessert apple which tasted not unlike a Cox.
'It goes well in chutney and works well in pies, she said.
'It's slightly waxy so polishes up beautifully.'
The former secretary said she and her neighbours have enjoyed the apple for years - eating it and even making jams and wine with the fruit which appears on her tree between August and November.
But she hopes that the find will enable her to find someone to take the apple on and ensure that it becomes a household name for future generations to enjoy.
'Hopefully someone will be interested in taking it on and turn it into a marketable item,' she said.
Five of the best apples from Norfolk
1) Introduced in 1905 the Norfolk Royal Apple is a sweet old-fashioned apple with a delicate melon flavour. It was found as a chance seedling at Wright's Nurseries at North Walsham in 1908. It is in season between September and December.
2) The Norfolk Royal is an attractive early 20th century red dessert apple. It is a sweet-flavoured apple which was found growing in the garden of Rev C Wright at Burnham Overy Staithe and introduced in 1983. It is s in season between September and December.
3) Adams Pearmain, introduced in 1826, is an old-fashioned late dessert apple, one of the most popular varieties in Victorian England, probably originating from Norfolk. It has an attractive 'pearmain' shape with a nutty-sweet flavour. It is in season from November and March.
4) Norfolk Biffins, or Beefings, are round, slightly flat, apples about three inches across and two and a half inches high. The skin is yellow-green, but with brown-purple and dark red streaks. Inside, the flesh has a green tint, is crisp, and is said to have a hint of the flavour of cinnamon.
5) The New Costessey Seedling, a dessert apple, was planted by George Fayers at New Costessey, near Norwich in 1926.
dailymail.co.uk
