From tiny seed to refreshing apple juice

If you're after a glass of something cool, crisp and refreshing, fresh apple juice is guaranteed to quench your thirst. However the juice from Starkey's Fruit is something a little more special than your normal glass of the stuff.

You'll find The Extraordinary John Starkey apple juice in all Lincolnshire Co-op food stores, as part of the Society's Love Local range showcasing exceptional local products.

That's because each bottle is pressed by the Starkey family from Bramley apples grown in their orchard - and tradition has always been at the core of what they do.

About 140 years ago John R Starkey - who later became MP for Newark - bought a estate in Southwell at auction. Three decades later in 1910, he planted the first orchard on his land using local Bramley apples.

However, there was something unique about the Bramley apples of Southwell. A local school girl in the early 1800’s had planted apple pips which had miraculously grown the first edible Bramley apples. It was only natural for John to use the local speciality apple in his orchard.

The seeds of fate had been planted, and John Starkey’s apple hobby was about to grow into something much more.

Fast-forward to today, and John’s great-granddaughter Suzannah Starkey now runs the orchard. Heritage and love for the Bramley is still integral to the way the orchard operates, and the utmost care is taken in every stage.

‘We use a special picking technique that involves using the palm of your hand to avoid bruising the fruit’ Suzannah explains.

This care and passion for the Bramley is at the heart of the business. Suzannah’s father Sir John Starkey worked with the University of Nottingham to clone the original Bramley apple when it was discovered they have a deadly honey fungus, which helped to keep the original Bramley apple alive.

The Extraordinary John Starkey apple juice, named in honour of Suzannah’s great grandfather, can be found on the shelves of Lincolnshire-Co-op stores delivered courtesy of a miracle Bramley seed and a lot of love.