From our orchards in Batlow, to you.
Ardrossan Batlow Apple's fruit remains in high demand at N&A Fruit Distributors due to its exceptional quality that begins with our orchards. Our three orchards, situated in the pristine environment of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, are known as "Gocup", purchased by David Cathels in the 1950s, "Woodburn" where the large packing shed and cool store facilities are located and "Ardrossan".
Each orchard has its own set of managers who enjoy a sense of pride and ownership as they work alongside Ian Cathels. The packing and storage operation utilises the latest technology for sorting, labelling, packing and storage. Ardrossan Batlow Apples employs between 50 and 100 staff during the year, in a town of approximately 1,000.
As a fully integrated company, N&A Fruit Distributors benefits from having input in the apple production process resulting in perfect fruit to suit all our customers’ requirements.
We carefully monitor each crop for pests so we that we use only the minimum pest control chemicals necessary for growing beautiful, great tasting products.
Climate
Located 700-1,000 meters above sea level in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, the Batlow growing district has warm days and cool, frosty nights providing ideal conditions for producing exceptional quality and great tasting apples. Because of these temperature changes between day and night, the apples are able to trigger the enzymes necessary to develop the colour more consistently and ripen at the proper rate. The Batlow district is one of the few areas in Australia with optimal climate, elevation and weather conditions that are perfect for the growth of tree fruit.
Soil
The soil in the Batlow district is basaltic, a fertile volcanic soil. Rich basaltic soil in the Batlow district is red in colour and is ideal for producing high quality, sweet fruit. At Ardrossan Batlow Apples, monitoring is conducted on a regular basis to ensure that the soil and trees are getting the nutrients that they need to be most productive.
