Commercial growers swept the board in the Tastiest Tomato Competition at West Dean Gardens, near Chichester, on September 7, taking the top 10 places. Held during West Dean’s famous Totally Tomato Show and organised by the British Tomato Growers’ Association (TGA), the competition was open to both amateur and professional growers.
Entries came from as far afield as Norfolk, Cornwall, Lancashire and the Isle of Wight.
Growers from the Isle of Wight were awarded the first three places, including the Len Summerton Cup for the winner, and cherry tomatoes were again found to be the pick of the crop by the panel of independent judges. In first place was Paul Howlett with Apero, second Ben Smith with Piccolo and third Kieran Devine with Sunita.
The cup for the winner of the competition was named in memory of Len Summerton, who had a life-long passion for growing tomatoes at his home in Southampton.
Gerry Hayman of the TGA said: “Naturally, we are pleased with the results, though this summer must have been about the worst ever to grow tomatoes outside in the garden. It does prove that, growing our crops in glasshouses as we do, we can produce a fantastic product, consistently and reliably, pretty much whatever the weather throws at us.
“When we attend shows, we are told by the public that tomatoes don’t taste like they used to, but we actually think ours taste better and they are available if you look for the British label. The problem is that four out of five tomatoes now sold in this country are imported - a message the politicians might take on board when they bang on about the environmental benefits of importing food.”
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