How to Eat Green

Lispopple Farm

An interview with Denise Buckley

Sysco is proud to work with authentic, sustainable Irish farms with real history behind them, like Lispopple Farm in Swords, Co. Dublin, which supplies chefs and hoteliers around the country with their delicious, home-grown apples.

Farming is in Denise Buckley’s blood, with Lispopple Farm celebrating its centenary anniversary in 2022. Denise’s mother took over the farm in the 1960s growing and selling much-loved apples, strawberries and raspberries. “I took over the farm when I was 18 years old and because she was an artist, she went painting and I went farming,” Denise reminisces.

Expanding their produce in the 1980s, Denise then started growing more unusual crops, introducing the likes of courgettes, pumpkins and gourds. However, it’s their luscious 16-acre apple orchard which provides Sysco with their three delicious apple varieties; the Jonagored, Cider Red and Golden Delicious.

What does it take to grow a great apple? As Denise explains, “You actually need a fair bit of rain. While we might not have the same skin finish, Irish apples are far juicier and have a lot more flavour than what you might see on the continent.”

“The great thing about our Bramley or Golden Delicious apples is that they’re sweet enough already, meaning they’re healthier for you when it comes to cooking, as you don’t need to add extra sugar.”

“When I was in Canada years ago, I was amazed to see that their apples on the tree all grow at the same size, whereas our apples would be every size — and that’s down to our weather.”

Denise has gone to great lengths to ensure Lispopple Farm is as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible. “For our courgettes, we changed over to biodegradable plastic and that’s a huge thing for us because remember, we have 45 acres of it,” Denise was delighted to reveal. What’s more, Lispopple Farm has stopped using pallet wrap on all of their crates, opting for straps, a more sustainable alternative.

The apple picking process begins in late September on Lispopple Farm, but the three varieties supplied to Sysco are picked throughout the month of October, when they’re at their peak, ensuring every apple has that perfect taste, crunch and texture.

Savoury or sweet, Lispopple Farm’s apples can be used in so many wonderful dishes, no matter your customer’s craving.

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“For me, there’s nothing better than an apple crumble with Golden Delicious apples — you just cannot beat it! On the savoury side, I throw diced apples into curries. Just fry them off in the pan with chopped onion and it’s absolutely lovely.”