"We have of course seen big PR activities in the past," said TGA chairman Gerry Hayman. "But they have tended to be one-off high profile events. British Tomato Week really gives us something to base our activities around - a real opportunity for the tomato industry to get out and let people know we're around and to launch a summer of promotions."
Hayman himself was certainly doing just that, with a series of interviews on commercial radio stations and for national media titles supplementing the time he spent talking to the trade press. Adverts running on radio stations across the country added spice to Hayman's call to arms. "The focus in the ads is three fold," he said. There is one on health and nutrition, one on how the tomatoes are grown, and one that details the range available.
"A new recipe book - Simply Tomatoes - has been launched by the TGA and is being retailed in most major chains for a couple of pounds," he added. "The emphasis was largely placed on convenience and the versatility of tomatoes as an ingredient - a base for inspiration and innovation for the books readers."
TGA members have committed to an ongoing series of open days at nurseries around the UK this summer - allowing consumers of all ages to dip into the world of tomato production and hear the intricacies of the process from the horses' mouths. "We have already begun offering schools the opportunity to visit nurseries, with some success. There are some very good teaching staff out there and glasshouses are a fascinating place to hold science lessons. With cherry tomatoes in the National School Fruit Scheme, we have something else to build on. Hopefully we'll see a greater range in the scheme - plum tomatoes are ideal for kids, for instance, but are a little too expensive for the scheme at this point in time."
The Tomato Zone, an interactive website for children and teachers, has also proved extremely popular since its launch in 2003. The site offers activities for 5-11 year-olds, having moved on from key stages I and II to offer key stages III and IV teaching materials. Activities range from the opportunity to find bugs in a glasshouse to learning about hydroponics and to grow your own tomatoes.
As reported in last week's Journal, most of the major retailers have put their full force behind British tomatoes this year and the Sainsbury's on-pack sticker proclaiming "Sainsbury's thinks British tomato growers are out of this world" is just one example of the support being shown for homegrown product.
"We [the TGA] are not a marketing group," said Hayman, "so we are careful not to get involved in relationships between retailers and their suppliers. However, to see the levels of co-operation and collaboration this year has been very encouraging. British Tomato Week is certainly here to stay.
"Tomatoes were short last year, so most people had a good year, but I think we are getting our message through. You get what you pay for in this life. If you buy the cheapest wine or the cheapest car for instance, you can't expect the best quality. The same applies to tomatoes. That is not to say they are expensive, or that a better diet is expensive, just that there is a lot of effort and time put into producing top quality tomatoes in Britain and the price consumer pay for them should reflect that."
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