Bramley Apple Distributors
Who are Glass Brothers
When it comes to Bramley apples there’s not much we don’t know. Since 1963, Glass Brothers have been a leading Bramley apple distributor supplying for both local and UK markets directly from our orchards in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
We are always looking towards the future to make sure customers receive the best Bramley apples. That’s why new orchards have been planted in 2008, 2014, and 2018. With another planned for 2021! The trees have arrived and we are waiting on the weather to start planting.
Since 1998, we’ve operated from a purpose-built facility with a fully implemented HACCP system that ensures our processes run smoothly. We’ve also invested in a state-of-the-art inspection system that ensures BRC accreditation is maintained.
Our Process
The Bramley apple is prized by cooks because of its characteristic flavour. When eaten naturally, a Bramley apple has a sharp taste, but when cooked they become sweet and tangy. This unique flavour comes from the high levels of malic acid and low levels of sugar. Perfect for cooking at home as well as baking.
At Glass Brothers we pride ourselves on being first-rate Bramley apple processors and getting the best from our orchards. From growing and harvesting to storage and processing we set our standards high. In addition to opening our own high-quality fresh chilled facility in 1998, we’ve been refining our methods for more than five decades.
Our process is broken down into a few key stages:
- Bud Development
- Spraying
- Pollination
- Fruit Set
- Harvest
From the very start of the process we rigorously maintain high standards. Each of our orchards are carefully overseen by a fully qualified agronomist with FACTS and BASIS qualifications, to ensure that everything is timed and managed correctly to yield the best quality fruit.
Additionally, we use the best pollinators in the world –– bees. Bees are essential for the pollination of our apple orchards.
Once we’ve harvested between September and October we immediately put our apples into storage. Since 2017 all our stores have been converted to ULO (Ultra Low Oxygen) storage. This allows us to maintain our apples at 5% CO2 and 1% O2, preventing the apples from ripening. With no chemicals added customers can rely on firm, green apples with a consistent flavour.
We’re proud of the relationships we’ve built with our customers over more than fifty-five years of apple processing both locally and across the United Kingdom.
Glass Brothers Products
Fresh Bramley Apples
Everyone knows that the best cooking apples are Bramley apples because of its sharp, characteristic flavour. Depending on the preservative used, these apples can be easily preserved from 6 days (ascorbic acid) to 21 days (sodium metabisulphite). Plus, we make all our apples to order so you maximise your apple shelf life.
Apple Pie Filling
Our simple yet delicious filling is made by blending Bramley apples with sugar and starch. We provide a range of apple cuts including diced, sliced, or kitchen cut. Our fillings can be made with preservatives or, if you prefer, clean labelled with no added preservatives.
Pulp Puree
We use apple skins and trimmings to produce a delicious puree that can be used in jams and mincemeat manufacture. You can order 20kg containers up to 1000kg Pallecon.
Aseptic Puree
Our aseptic puree is made from 100% Bramley apple with no added preservatives. Our aseptic bulk liner can be operated over 300 times and will also withstand steam sterilisation. They have a shelf life of up to 12 months and can be stored ambient until opened.
Milled Bramley Apple
We preserve our Milled Bramley Apples using ascorbic acid, sodium metabisulphite or acetic acid depending on customer end use. Many customers use milled apples to give certain savoury products more texture.