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British Tomato Fortnight MAY/JUNE
British Tomato Fortnight MAY/JUNE
British Tomato Fortnight is celebrated for 14 days annually. The celebration starts on the Monday of the last full week of May, and it ends on a Sunday — from May 20 to June 2 this year.
In Britain, it’s fair to say we love toms. We eat around 500,000 tonnes of them every year. That’s 6oz or 160g per person per week, the equivalent of two classic British tomatoes per week, or more than 100 per year!
Around a fifth of the total toms we consume are grown in Britain.
British-grown tomatoes are famous for their flavour. That’s because they’re sold locally, so varieties are chosen for taste rather than durability.
They’re kept on the vine for longer, absorbing as much flavour as possible before they reach your plate. This also means they’re bursting with nutrition, boosting immunity, heart health and even protecting against cancer.
They’re good for the environment too. Food miles are dramatically reduced compared to imported counterparts. And British tomato growers are an innovative lot. From nourishing crops with rainwater to using bumblebees to pollinate the plants, they’re continually refining their growing techniques to work with nature, rather than against it.
