Who knew that Granny Smith apples were not British? They sound like a quintessential British apple, but they are in fact Australian in origin.

Specialist food and drink database, Tried and Supplied, has teamed up with hospitality charity, Springboard, to help young chefs learn more about products available in the UK and how to source them. Educational materials will start to feed into next year's curriculum, but to get started locally sourced apples will be a feature of the Tried and Supplied Future Chef VIP dinner at the Hotel Cafe Royal.

"Initially Springboard requested Granny Smith apples as that is what they are using for the competition, but we were unable to find them anywhere," Domini Hogg, founder of Tried and Supplied tells us. "I consulted with English Apples & Pears and was surprised to find that Granny Smith apples aren't British, nor do they grow in the UK".

This year, British Cox apples will be used for the Future Chef Awards VIP dinner, supplied by Avalon Produce Ltd and their collaborative British growers.