Gavin apple
Malus domestica
Early attempt to breed a scab-resistant dessert apple, surprisingly good sweet/sharp flavour - an under-rated apple
Parentage: Merton Worcester
Origin: England
Introduced: 1956
Season: Oct-Dec
Apple cultivar ID: 102400
An interesting and fairly early attempt (1950s) to develop a variety with natural resistance to "scab", one of the most prevalent of diseases of apple trees, by using a crab-apple variety as a starting point. Whilst the crab-apple lends its natural disease resistance, fortunately its bitter acidic flavour is not present in Gavin. Instead, in appearance and flavour, Gavin is very much closer to its parent Merton Worcester, which is in turn a cross between Cox's Orange Pippin and Worcester Pearmain. It is named after its creator, Gavin Brown. See also
Ariane, a very new French variety which also has crab apple in its ancestry.
Gavin is a somewhat un-prepossesing apple, fairly small by modern standards. The colour is usually light yellow with a strong red flush typical of Merton Worcester and Worcester Pearmain. The flesh is firm rather than crunchy, but not soft. When it comes to flavour Gavin acquits itself far better than might be expected. It is quite delicate, tending towards sweet, without too much acid. It will be popular with anyone who wants an apple which is not too acidic and at the same time not too sugary-sweet.
It is perhaps surprising that Gavin is not better known. Whilst it is unlikely to be anyone's favourite apple, it might feature in a top 20. It has that key characteristic of a good apple, a harmony of flavour and texture which really works.
Relationships to other apple varieties
Parents and other ancestors of this variety
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