Apple Chivers Delight

Chivers Delight stands as a late-season dessert apple, characterized by its crisp and juicy flesh, delivering a sweet and well-balanced flavor profile. The tree yields a substantial crop of yellow fruit with a distinctive red flush, making it a visually appealing addition to any garden. This apple variety is particularly versatile, thriving in various geographic areas. Notably, Chivers Delight showcases excellent storage qualities, ensuring a prolonged enjoyment of its delectable harvest.

In addition to its taste and visual appeal, Chivers Delight boasts resilience. The tree reliably produces heavy crops and exhibits resistance to blemishes caused by apple scab. This resilience adds to the overall appeal of Chivers Delight as a low-maintenance yet rewarding choice for orchards and gardens alike.

History of Apple Chivers Delight:

Cambridgeshire boasts a rich heritage in fruit cultivation, particularly in the realm of apple orchards. The Chivers family, pioneers in this tradition, established a thriving jam-making factory near Cambridge in the late 19th century, strategically utilizing the bountiful fruits from the surrounding orchards. Today, the iconic Chivers brand is an integral part of Premier Foods, and the legacy of jam production endures at Histon.

In the 1920s, a member of the Chivers family, Stephen Chivers, embarked on the creation of distinctive apple varieties. Among these, Chivers' Delight emerged as the most successful. Regrettably, scant information is available regarding the apple's parentage, although its flattened shape and sweet flavor suggest a potential connection to the esteemed Cox's Orange Pippin.

During the first half of the 20th century, Chivers' Delight enjoyed considerable popularity. However, with the passage of time, this once-beloved apple has gradually faded from favor. Despite its diminished presence, the legacy of Chivers' Delight remains a testament to the innovative spirit of the Chivers family in shaping Cambridgeshire's fruit-growing history.

Site: Sheltered, sunny site
Soil: Fertile, well-drained, loamy soil, preferably slightly acid to neutral
Position: Full sun
Pick: From early October
Keep: Till January in a cool dry place
Hardiness: Hardy
Pollination: Pollination Group 4
Uses: Eating, juicing

Learn more about fruit tree rootstocks

During the bareroot season, our apples are pre pruned before being dispatched by mail order.