Following close on the heels of the launch of our DOLE GO Organic! brand, Dole Ireland is pleased to announce the release of our first commercial crop of Grá Honeycrunch Irish apples. It’s a proud moment for Dole given that our origins can be traced back to a modest apple orchard in 1850’s Armagh and our long standing commitment to promoting local produce here at home.
First, the challenge: today only about one in twenty five apples sold in Ireland are home grown. It used to be one in four. There are some many reasons for this. Growing apples in Ireland isn’t easy and imported varieties have proven popular with Irish consumers. Our solution? This week Dole is introducing an exceptional apple, our Grá Honeycrunch Apple to the Irish market. Honeycrunch is a variety exclusive to Dole in Ireland- it’s well suited to Irish conditions and the eating quality and experience is comparable to anything imported apples can offer.
Flavoursome, juicy and refreshing, the taste of a Honeycrunch apple strikes a perfect balance between sweet and tangy. Beautifully round, the Honeycrunch variety is associated with a two tone red colour on a cream background. Grown on David Keane’s Croninacht Orchard in County Waterford, Honeycrunch is marketed under our Grá brand, the label we apply to only the very best locally grown produce. One for the future, quantities and availability this year are modest but 2025 will see new growers and additional volumes come to market.
Visit the orchard in Co. Waterford below