Sainsbury's backs research orchard at Hadlow College

A new orchard designed to teach young people about the apple industry has been planted at Hadlow College, Kent.

The project is backed by Sainsbury’s produce technologist Theresa Huxley, who has already championed the creation of a similar orchard at Pershore College, and is sponsored by the Pépinières du Valois nursery, Desindo Wood Supply and fruit tree supplier JR Breach.

Huxley said the orchards had been designed as replicates of each other to allow students at the two colleges to compete and compare results. She added it was vital for the future of the British apple industry that students were given first-hand experience of planting an orchard.