Pink Lady apples have seen a spike in U.K. sales this summer, with June figures up by a record 31% year-on-year.

Annual sales are now up 6% from 2017, signifying a strong start to the Southern Hemisphere season, according to the brand's U.K. master license holder, Coregeo.

There has been high demand for the new crop as the Northern Hemisphere season came to a close, with retailers keen to invest heavily in the new season.

The brand has reported particularly significant success with Aldi, as the German discount chain continues its expansion of stores in the U.K., with a further 70 stores opening in 2018.

Additionally, other retailers have had a plentiful start to the season as the southern hemisphere crop kicks in. Pinkids, the brand extension for children, is back on shelves and boasts Morrisons as a new stockist.

Pink Lady has a strong brand presence across the big four supermarket chains - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons - and is listed in 16 outlets in total.

The soaring sales figures come after several years of heavy investment in the brand by Coregeo, with brand initiatives spanning marketing, advertising, sponsorship, digital and PR.

"We’re absolutely thrilled with the latest sales figures. This is the highest monthly sales ever for Pink Lady and is a great start to the southern hemisphere season," said Lynn Shaw, Pink Lady marketing manager.

“With a heavy focus on the snacking market via our PR and digital communications, which we identified as an area of huge potential growth, the excellent sales figures show that this integrated campaign has really struck a chord with consumers and converted into sales. We look forward to continued growth."