The Greenstar will have to establish itself as a rival to other varieties

Adrian Scripps Ltd, of Kent, has unveiled a new variety of green eating apple, called the Greenstar, that can tolerate the British climate.

Currently, 99% of green eating apples sold in the UK have to be imported from countries with warmer weather.

The Greenstar was first bred in Belgium and took 10 years to develop.

It's taken many, many years to find the right balance James Simpson Apple grower

The Greenstar is a hybrid of the Granny Smith and the Delcorf varieties.

James Simpson, managing director of Adrian Scripps, told BBC News Online previous attempts to grow a green eating apple in the British climate had produced mixed results. Some were able to handle the weather, but lacked taste.

"It's taken many, many years to find the right balance. To be able to grow one really is unique," he said.

He said the company had invested �175,000 in developing the fruit and owned almost half the Greenstar trees on the planet.

'Breakthrough'

The apples are being picked this week and are set to go on sale in November, although Mr Simpson said the retail price had not yet been determined.

There's a fairly long way to go and it's going to be a tough battle Adrian Barlow England Apples and Pears

Charlotte Wright, apple buyer for Tesco, which will stock the fruit, said: "The launch of the Greenstar in the UK is a major breakthrough and the Holy Grail for all British apple growers.

"Until now no farmer has considered it worth their while to bother growing a green apple on a commercial scale in the UK because of the cost involved in developing it in the first place."

Adrian Barlow, chief executive of industry group England Apples and Pears, said the arrival of Greenstar could prove an exciting development.

But he said it was too early to tell if the apple growers' Holy Grail had truly been found.

He said the Greenstar could still prove prone to disease or pests and would need to fight hard to establish itself as a rival to well-known varieties such as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious.

"Apples are a very emotive subject amongst English consumers, who do have tremendous feelings of nostalgia and pride for them," he said.

"If a green apple can be grown successfully in this country and if it can established as a brand, it will be beneficial. But there's a fairly long way to go and it's going to be a tough battle."